


In the Company of Shadows

by ckksac



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: A.R.G.U.S., Alternate Universe, Angst, F/M, H.I.V.E., Original Team Arrow, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-24
Updated: 2016-01-07
Packaged: 2018-04-05 20:14:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 88,962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4193400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ckksac/pseuds/ckksac
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>EDITED:  Felicity Smoak abandoned her entire existence after shocking events left her filled with guilt and remorse as well as heartbroken.  She disappeared from the life she had built in Starling City, determined to right her wrongs.  After five years of running, fate brought Oliver Queen, and the memories that led to her heartbreak, back into her life.  Unwilling to trust him, yet unable to resist him when she is the cause of so much pain in his life, Felicity agrees to work with him to stop a force of evil who has Felicity in his sights.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Felicity Smoak is one of the most interesting female characters on television today. It's my opinion that her strength of character has not yet been fully explored on the show, despite the turmoil she endured during Season 3. I often wonder how she would react under certain circumstances and how tragedy and perceived betrayal would affect her. My mind went here. It's certainly not canon although there are elements of the foundation the show laid for Felicity's relationships with both Oliver and Diggle, as well as the interactions with other characters. I wanted to stay true to the foundation of the characters so that echoes of them were present but still make them a bit my own.
> 
> I'm still figuring out how AO3 and tagging works. As new characters make an appearance, I'll add them to the tags. If I'm missing any tags that you think should be added, please let me know and I'll edit accordingly. Thank you so much for reading!!

She prepared for her meeting as if she were going into battle. It was the same as it was for any meeting. A ritual of sorts to hide the girl she was behind the woman she had forced herself to become.  Tonight, the ritual was particularly important. This client was it. With this client, she would be one step away from redemption. And so she began breaking herself down, to remember the why and the how. She stared at herself in the mirror, and forced herself to re-live the moment her innocence shattered. The memory of the guilt and horror, the humiliation and heartbreak flooding her mind and heart, nearly breaking her as it always did. She gave free reign to her emotions, and once the guilt and humiliation sunk its claws deeply into her, she begin rebuilding her fortress, brick-by-icy-brick, locking herself away behind an exterior so cold that to touch her was to burn. When she was emotionally and mentally locked behind the walls of her fortress, she began the second layer of her armor - her appearance.  Despite the passage of time, she had never been able to fully hide the lingering pain in her eyes, and so she used other methods of distraction to prevent anyone from delving to deeply. Long, blonde hair ruthlessly pulled back into a low, sleek knot at the base of her head, the subtle application of make-up, a smoky eye distracting from the pain that peeked just behind the frigid blue depths of her eyes. Her clothing was selected as another form of armor; custom-tailored, skinny black pants and a smooth, black blazer that nipped in at the waist, showing just a hint of cleavage that she used as another distraction to prevent anyone from studying her too closely. She slid her feet into a pair of black stilettos while fastening a pair of square-cut diamond solitaires into her ears. She finished with a spray of perfume, the scent light yet intoxicating.

She grabbed her tablet, and paused in front of the mirror by the hotel room door. She reached into a bag resting on the table and slicked on a bright fuchsia over her lips, the only color that popped in stark contrast to the severity of her outfit. The last of her armor in place, she gave herself one last critical look. The reflection that stared back at her was cold, haughty, and very much a woman in control. The flawless appearance distracted both men and women from looking to far beneath the surface. She nearly laughed at the deception because despite the five years since having her rose-colored glasses smashed to the tiniest of bits, she had never managed to heal or forget the cause of her damage. But she was one step closer to her goal, and for that goal, she would continue to act and play her part.

“You can do this, Felicity. This is the client you’ve been waiting for, the one that you lured with every job you took.  So pull up your big girl panties, Smoak.  The game begins in earnest tonight.”

\----------------------

Lyla Michaels threw her hands up in frustration at the two men standing before her. Their level of stubbornness never failed to irritate her. She had known John for years.  She had married him, divorced him, bore his child, and remarried him, yet his stubbornness never failed to get under her skin. Add Oliver Queen to the mix and the testosterone level in the room was enough to make her gag.

“She is, hands down, the best at what she does.”

“If she is the best, then why isn’t she working for you?” Oliver lifted a brow at Lyla, waiting for her response. Lyla shifted, unaccountably reluctant to admit that the woman they were about to meet had skated beneath A.R.G.U.S.' radar.  She heaved a sigh.

“Because we didn’t know she existed! If we had, I would have attempted to recruit her…and based on her history of escaping our notice, pretty much given her any damn thing she wanted.”

“How did you find her this time?” Diggle asked, his curiosity piqued at a woman whose work failed to trigger any of the alarms that would have brought A.R.G.U.S. to her very doorstep.

“Former clients. When I put out – um – feelers for what you were looking for, her name popped up twice. Remember the prisoner escape in Slovenia?” Both men nodded and then did a double take.

“She orchestrated that?” Oliver asked, surprise clearly evident in his voice. Lyla nodded. “From an office building here in the United States.” Diggle whistled in clear admiration for this woman’s skill.  "She also was responsible for the successful rescue of the hostages in Iran, the breach of the Christian Warriors compound that resulted in the rescue of 150 victims of human trafficking, not to mention the successful rescue of Ray Palmer's fiancé from lunatics here in Central City. And no one knew it. Until now. Her clients are sworn to secrecy until the right questions are asked. I asked the right questions."  Lyla paused, letting the woman's qualifications speak for themselves.

“She thinks she is meeting with an A.R.G.U.S. agent.  Based on the very little information I have, it’s going to piss her off that it was a subterfuge. Which is why you both need to step into the other room and let me handle this first meeting.”

Oliver was already shaking his head, “No. The meeting may have been arranged under false pretenses, but we start the relationship clean.”  He was so tired of the lies.  The deceptive life he led that brought him to this moment weighed heavily on him. He was so damn _tired._

“I don’t like that we don’t know anything about her except her name and the 'recommendation' of two clients. And now what you've shared.” This came from John as he looked over the very thin file Lyla had put together. “I mean, what kind of name is Shadow? And no last name? Really?”

Oliver moved to stare out the office windows. The office space A.R.G.U.S. procured for this meeting was on the top floor, giving a commanding view of the streets below. The woman had refused to come to Starling City but agreed to meet in Central City. She agreed to this building for the meeting, but controlled the date and time. She had managed almost every aspect of their meeting, _managed them_ , from the beginning, compromising on the smallest of details and standing firm on larger ones. If there was one thing that Oliver Queen disliked, it was not having control. He had no choice, he knew it, and it chafed him that a one-name woman had this much power over him. But he had a debt to pay and A.R.G.U.S. could only be used so far because as soon as his interests deviated from A.R.G.U.S. interests, the partnership was over.  So what he needed now was someone that not even A.R.G.U.S. could track or trace in any possible way. What he needed now was someone who was a ghost, a shadow, in the cyber world, finding what he and Diggle needed to track and topple a powerful and corrupt organization responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent lives, including Diggle’s brother and Oliver’s sister. His hand clenched at the memory of Thea’s death and the fall-out that fractured his world into a million little pieces. The flame of vengeance, always simmering beneath Oliver's cool exterior flared.  And along with the desire for vengeance came regret for the damage he had done to another. He slammed the door on that line of thought. Lyla was still talking about the woman they were about to meet.

“It’s obviously not her real name. Once we discovered her existence, we tried every possible method of determining who she is, tapped every resource, and came up empty. She exists in shadows, hovering just outside anyone’s grasp. Her real identity is buried so deep that not even our best could find her.” The last was said with grudging approval at the woman’s capabilities. Lyla could not help but respect someone who had buried her true self so deep that not even A.R.G.U.S.’ most skilled hackers could find her. Oliver ran a hand through his hair, absently noting it needed to be cut. He knew in his gut that he needed this woman.

A light flashed on the phone by Lyla. Picking it up, she raised her eyebrows in surprise at the news she was receiving.

“Allow her to proceed without interference,” was all Lyla said before hanging up. “She’s here. Early. And she caught my so-called surveillance team by surprise.” All three turned to the monitors set up on the desk and the live surveillance currently streaming . “Looks like she hired a private driving service, rather than the car we sent. She clearly never had any intent on letting us control her movements. I wondered at how easily she agreed to allow us to provide transport. It was a ruse.” They watched as the driver opened the rear door and a shapely leg clothed in tight black pants emerged before the rest of a petite, slender figure slid out of the vehicle. Her back was to the camera and all three noted the bent head, turned away from the cameras, preventing clear visual.

“She knows we are watching,” observed Diggle. Oliver studied the woman, something about her pricking at his conscience. He rolled his neck, his eyes fixed on her image. He found himself tracing the curves of her body, distracted by the hint of cleavage he could just make out in the grainy image. He cursed silently at how easily he found his mind wandering.  She seemed oddly familiar, yet he was certain they had never met.  Even without seeing her face, it was unlikely he would forget meeting someone like her.  She moved with an innate grace that stirred his memory.

“She can’t hide from all the cameras as she makes her way up here,” Lyla assured them. “We will have so many angles to choose from that before the elevator doors close, facial recognition software will have tracked her real identity.” They watched as she paused, saying something to the driver as she glanced down at her tablet. Her fingers swiping rapidly over the surface. Just before she turned into view of the security cameras, their screen filled with static. Oliver looked at Lyla, who held up a hand and after a few key strokes; another camera came into focus as Shadow entered the lobby, her head down. Within a second, the cameras in the lobby went out. Diggle snorted while Lyla picked up the phone.

“What do you mean interference?” She was silent, listening to whatever she was being told. “Well, find it, disable it, and make sure no more cameras go out.” No sooner did the words leave her mouth when the camera inside the elevator Shadow entered, her head bent low and averted from view, went out.

“Fuck,” Oliver breathed. “She is good.” Diggle nodded and he and Oliver exchanged a glance. She was already proving her worth and they had yet to exchange a word.

“It’s the tablet,” Diggle said. “She’s hacked her way into the building security system using a tablet.” He couldn’t help but grin at Lyla who stuck her tongue out at him. Government cutbacks were killing her budget that was more than any other agency would see in any given year and she still didn't have the best.

“I anticipate the cameras outside this office and in here will be going out as well,” Lyla sighed. “Damn, I want her.” They heard the elevator chime, announcing its arrival, and right on cue, the cameras in the vestibule and in the office went out. Oliver smiled. So far, she was exactly what they needed. He listened to the click of her heels on the marble floors and turned just as she entered the suite.

Oliver went rigid with shock. He barely heard Diggle’s muttered, “Jesus Christ,” over the roaring in his ears.  His mind refused to accept what his eyes were seeing.  It was her. It was Felicity.  But at the same time, it wasn’t.

\----------------------

As the elevator opened to her destination, Felicity accessed the elevator mainframe and held the car she was using. _Always have a quick escape route_ , a voice reminded her. She frowned as a piece of her past intruded unexpectedly. It was a voice she hadn’t heard in years, teaching her to analyze access and egress points in any given structure.  It spoke of friendship, and of home.  She shook her head, dispelling the memory. She swiped a finger across her screen, bringing back up the surveillance video system and deactivated the remaining cameras on the floor before stepping out into the foyer of the office suite. She paused as a wave of apprehension swept over her. She frowned again, disturbed by this second break in her control. She took a breath and stabilized her fortress of ice. She strode across the marble floors; the click of her Louboutins heralding her arrival. The glass doors to the suite stood open and she stepped into the threshold, her expression coldly confident. Her mind started sending her warning signals as she registered the presence of three individuals. She froze in place, the walls of her fortress cracking under the emotional onslaught as she recognized the men.

Felicity tightened her grip on her tablet, her knuckles turning white. Some part of her chided her for risking damage to her tablet, but she was unable to stop herself. Her mind was screaming in denial as her heart began fluttered wildly in her chest. She looked at Diggle first; his face a mix of relief and sorrow with a hint of anger.  Of course he would be angry….she left with no explanation. She never let him, of all people, know that she was alive. That she was safe. She found she could not meet his eyes, something like shame filling her. She balked at the idea and tried to focus on the only other female in the room. But like a moth to a flame, her gaze was pulled toward the one commanding presence in the room that she could not ignore. Memories threatened to crash through her walls of ice. It took everything she was, _everything she had_ , to not flee or fall to her knees. She met his eyes for one fleeting moment and found the past hurtling towards her at a speed she would not be able to handle.  She could not do this. She could not falter. She let one memory breach her defenses, and as always, it never failed to flood her with guilt, shame, and humiliation. It was exactly what she needed to wrench herself under control. She pulled her eyes away from Oliver to focus on the woman she hazard was actually the person she was supposed to be meeting. She took a few more precious seconds, refusing to sound breathless or shocked in his presence.

“Michaels?” she asked, her voice glacier smooth. She clenched her hand around her tablet again. Diggle opened his mouth but Lyla waved him back. The tension in the room was thick and Lyla was unsure as to the cause. Something was very wrong. It was obvious by their reactions that John and Oliver knew this woman yet both just stood there in shocked silence. Before she could speak, the woman who called herself Shadow had already stepped back into the vestibule of the office suite.

“You have wasted my time. My understanding was that I was to meet with a representative of A.R.G.U.S. in order to provide assistance beyond your organization’s capabilities. I see that I was misled. Thank you for the offer of employment but I decline.” Her voice remained calm and coldly collected. She refused to look at Oliver or John. She met Lyla’s gaze evenly before turning away.  She would not run. She would not run. Again. She would find another way to reach her goal. She could do this without A.R.G.U.S. It would be far more difficult but not impossible.

“Wait,” Lyla called but Felicity ignored her. “Wait…” Felicity stepped into the waiting elevator and jabbed a shaking finger at the lobby call-button. The elevator didn’t move. “Shit,” she muttered. Diggle's voice invaded her mind again.... _always have a quick escape route._ She could feel her fortress beginning to fracture under the weight of the past. She brought up her tablet, quickly typing in commands, entering them wrong and losing precious seconds in her escape as she started over. She accessed the elevator mainframe and unlocked her car. She saw she was being “chased” on the mainframe and quickly threw up a cyber-block to prevent anyone from stopping the elevator. Her heart pounded in fear. She could not see him. She could not talk to him. As the doors were closing, she saw Oliver come striding out into the lobby. The last thing she saw was the fury in his eyes as the doors closed between them.

\---------------------

“Fuck!” Oliver shouted and turned to Lyla. “Get me a car, Lyla….” Before he could finish his demand, the maintenance elevator behind him opened and he jumped inside, pushing the lobby button frantically. Diggle came running out, but missed the car. He heard Diggle’s voice in his ear.

“Lyla’s people have the cameras back up but she’s not bothering to disable them. She’s trying to stop your elevator, but it’s on a separate mainframe from the regular elevators. She’s trying to bring it up. Lyla’s people can’t stop her elevator, she has them blocked. Damn, she’s good. She’s only two floors ahead of you. Shit…Oliver…shit…” Diggle’s murmured something to Lyla and came back on the phone. “She’s stopped trying to stop your elevator. She’s just….” Diggle paused and when he spoke again, his voice was filled with sadness. “She’s just standing there.”

Oliver fought to get himself under control but it was near impossible. Everything in him demanded he catch her before she escaped. Seconds that felt like hours ticked by and then finally, he arrived in the lobby. The doors were barely opened before he pushed his way out. He saw her outside, stepping into her car. He burst outside and called her name.

\---------------------

“Felicity!” It was his voice that caused her to freeze as she was ducking into her car. The deep timbre washed over her, the sound of her name a balm on her traitorous heart. She closed her eyes and gave herself five seconds before lifted her head to look at him.

Their gazes locked and as if no time had passed, she felt the world fall away until it was the two of them in this single moment of time. She shuddered at the intensity of his stare, but fought him, pulling away before he could take over. Breaking contact, she disappeared into the car, hearing him call her name again. Her driver slid into place and sped off into the night. Felicity felt shock finally take over and she folded into herself, her eyes hot at her refusal to cry.

\--------------------

Oliver watched as the car sped away, his chest heaving with a nameless emotion. “Tell me you traced that car, Lyla.” There was silence and then Lyla came on. “We have it, Oliver.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Felicity escapes from Oliver and John, she revisits her past and the moment that Oliver Queen walked into her life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the messages and kudos! I'm not sure what the etiquette is...am I supposed to reply to you or is a note at the beginning of each chapter enough? Or is it my choice? In any event, thank you all!

Felicity struggled to regain control, but she knew it was a losing battle. She wasn’t strong enough, never had been when it came to Oliver. Resting her forehead against the cool glass of the windows, she stared unseeingly at the landscape. The past crept over her and she let herself fall back to a time that should have been simpler, easier for a girl of 19. When Felicity met Oliver Queen, she was, quite literally, just some IT girl with an unlimited talent forcomputers. There was not a system that did not fall victim to the magic of her mind, whether it was creating the system or breaking it.  She was unique in her field and unchallenged. Recruited heavily by Viperidae Cyber Security upon her graduation from M.I.T., Felicity relocated to Starling City and was added to the team of specialists assigned to the Queen Consolidated portfolio. By the time she was 22, she was leading that team, her skills having brought her the notice of the CEO of QC. Robert Queen’s paranoia over a security breach of QC’s firewalls was at odds with his reputation as a ruthless businessman. His paranoia manifested itself in such a way that he demanded weekly testing of their security and onsite assistance at his whim. Felicity was a common fixture in QC’s IT department, running security breach tests from inside, and outside, the high rise office building. Her random tests challenged QC’s IT staff, a few of whom Viperidae recommended with her input, and they always rose to the occasion when her viruses came knocking. It was during one of those tests, that Felicity met Oliver.

_**Seven Years Earlier** _

Felicity tipped her chair back, iPod blaring Kings of Leon’s Sex on Fire through her ear buds . She braced her feet on the edge of her desk as she watched her latest virus run. She stared at the screen, a slow smile breaking over her face as her virus pummeled the Queen Consolidated firewalls. She typed in a few more commands, and sent her virus crashing through the remaining firewalls. She could not help but feel a sense of elation at passing Robert Queen's latest test.  Whomever it was he claimed could stop her, just failed. 

“Yes!” She fist-pumped in victory and glancing at the clock on the wall, noted that it took less than five minutes from the moment her virus finished uploading to breach the last firewall. Not her fastest time, but pretty damn good for a virus she came up with on the fly. Not good for the team on watch at QC, or the mystery man hired by Mr. Queen to challenge her.  But still, she was a rock star. And since she was alone in the office, there was no one to see her celebrate.

Jumping up from her chair, she began a celebratory dance, black hair swinging around her face as she swiveled her hips in time to the music playing in her ears. She whirled around, arms over head, singing out loud and then froze. Oh shit, was her first thought, followed immediately by oh fuck, as she recognized who it was standing in front of her. Felicity slowly lowered her arms, removing her ear buds in the process.

“Felicity Smoak? Hi, I’m Oliver Queen.” Despite the severity of his expression, the cold hard lines of his face, he could not quite hide his amusement. It sparkled in his eyes as she quickly removed her earbuds.

“Of course, I know who you are….” A loud beeping tore her attention away and back to her computer. “Oh fuck,” she said and falling back into her chair, began typing furiously. She backed out of the QC mainframe before the virus could do any real damage and re-established the firewall protections that had taken her mere minutes to hack. No serious damage would have been done as the test was on QC’s least sensitive server. But still, she never should have gotten that far even if the server only housed the most mundane business information already available to the public. She quickly jotted down notes on the holes in the security before turning back to Oliver Queen.

“You’re still here? Of course you are….Wait, how do you know my name? I’m nobody, I mean, I’m not but to you I’m nobody, and you and your family aren’t exactly on speaking terms – how did you get in here? I thought I locked the door.…and did I say ‘fuck’ out loud? Doesn’t matter because I just did it again…..and here you are, still staring at me, your gorgeous blue eyes sparkling…did I just say that out loud?” Felicity closed her eyes and silently counted backwards from three, wishing to any merciful God to just kill her. Now. She reopened eyes to find Oliver Queen outright grinning at her babbling. Whether it was good manners, or pity (probably pity, she thought), he didn’t mention her verbal diarrhea, or her dancing. _Thank God_.

“I was hoping you could help me.” He placed a seriously damaged laptop on her desk. She leaned over it, inspecting what she immediately recognized as bullet holes. She fingered them and looked up at Oliver, eyebrows raised.

“Looks like you need the police. Not an IT specialist.”

Oliver smiled again. “I need to know if any information on the laptop is salvageable.”

“Is it your laptop?”

“Yes.” Oliver gave Felicity his most trustworthy expression. She looked again at the laptop and then back at him.

“Then you don’t need me. Since this is your computer, you should have no problem logging in to see how much damage was done.” She pushed the laptop towards him so that he could take it back. He didn’t touch it.

“I forgot my password,” Oliver responded. Felicity met his stare with silence. He gave her a disarming smile, yet she didn’t even blink. Apparently his “gorgeous blue eyes” would only get him so far.  Oliver couldn't help but admire this woman who seemed overwhelmed by his presence one minute and then completely unaffected in the next.  She was entirely unexpected although, come to think of it, he wasn't sure what he expected.  But it certainly wasn't a woman with long inky black hair with subtle streaks of purple, a single industrial piercing, whose dancing made him want to grip her hips and bring her flush against him.  Jesus, he thought, surprising himself with the direction of his thoughts. What the fuck is wrong with me?  He refocused, wondering what to say to convince Felicity Smoak to help him out.  He didn't have a lot of time and he was taking a gamble by coming to someone who essentially worked for his father.

“Please?” He did not know what made him say it, but it came out earnestly. This time, she did blink, surprised. Felicity looked down at the computer, then back at him and nodded. Taking the computer, she began hooking it up to various cables at her desk. She absently waved him over to an empty chair, her focus on the laptop.  Oliver sat prepared to wait for however long it took.  He brought his chair closer and the scent of the woman completely ignoring him in favor of "his" laptop flooded his senses.  It was an alluring scent, light yet decadent.  It invited him to come closer, to bury his nose in the crook of her neck and inhale her very scent into his body. Christ, he thought and shifted uncomfortably.  His lack of control surprised him and he wondered how long he was going to have to sit here in torture.  He was surprised when Felicity suddenly leaned back, her eyes fixed on the information rapidly scrolling across the screen of the laptop.  He looked at the clock.  Less than 10 minutes.

\-------------------------

Felicity eyed the laptop suspiciously. Every single file on it was secured with different levels of encryption. And the encryption was state of the art with trip wires designed to trigger warnings to some mystery server whose location she had not yet tried to find. None of that bothered her. What bothered her was the information the elaborate security settings was protecting. Felicity turned to Oliver and found that he had moved his chair closer to her. Her breath hitched in her chest as she met his eyes.  Their gazes locked and everything around them just fell away; the humming of the servers, the occasional sound of traffic, the ticking of the clock all faded to the background and there was only him. And her.  She wanted to drown in his eyes, to soothe away the pain that she suspected not many, if anyone, really saw.  Her fingers itched to trace the contours of his face...this is wrong, she though, this should be wrong, but she knew it wasn't. It was very right.

Oliver could not pull his gaze away, even if he wanted to which he didn’t. The guileless blue of her eyes captured his imagination, the bright light within shining so sweetly it bathed his soul in gentle warmth. What is this, he thought. He tried to blink away the connection, but it only increased in intensity. His awareness of her was heightened, and a burning need to touch her nearly overtook him.  He saw her lips part and he couldn’t help but glance down at the plumpness of her lower lip. He wanted to bite it. At that thought, Oliver blinked again, this time leaning away from Felicity, putting space between them.

What is this, Felicity thought as she steadily met his gaze. Her lips parted on an inhale and she watched his eyes flick downward. Stop, she thought. And suddenly he was blinking, breaking whatever it was that ensnared them for that one moment.  He moved, putting space between them.  Felicity found she was breathless. Hearing Oliver's ragged breathing reassured her that it was not some stupidity on her part.  Both were quiet as they tried to calm their breathing, looking everywhere but at each other.  Finally, Oliver shifted, pushing his chair a even further from her.  Felicity risked a glance, and Oliver motioned to the laptop, still not quite looking at her.

“So?”

Felicity cleared her throat, focusing back on the issue at hand. “This is not your laptop, Mr. Queen.”

“Oliver,” he corrected. “And it is my laptop.” Felicity studied him and then pressing a few keys on the laptop, the screen went black with a single dialogue box opened, prompting for a password. Oliver began to protest, and she held up a hand.

“Just stop. This is not your computer. Stop lying.” Oliver glared at her and she glared right back. “I’m not stupid Mr. Qu – Oliver – so just stop.”

“I’m not lying. It’s my laptop,” he paused and then added, “Now.”

“Semantics,” Felicity dismissed, rolling her eyes at him. “It wasn’t always yours, and was probably never yours until it came into your possession, which was sometime today, and even so, that makes it a lost laptop and not yours just because you 'found' it.” At Oliver’s raised eyebrow, she explained.

“There is only one user ID stored on the computer and it is not your name, or any derivative of your name. The last authorized log on was at 4:00 p.m. this afternoon and you walked in here just after 7:30 p.m. So, in a little less than three hours, this computer was taken or left behind by its owner, shot up in the process and then landed in your possession. So no, Oliver, this is not your computer.”

“Maybe I used a different name as my user ID.”

“What’s your user ID?”

“I forgot,” was Oliver’s immediately reply and Felicity couldn’t help but laugh. Oliver grinned in response, letting her laughter wash over him, the light tinkling sound uninhibited in it's amusement.  She looked at him speculatively for a moment and something she saw seemed to make up her mind.

“No, this is not your laptop. If it were, you would know exactly where to take it for assistance without having to come to an outside person. You would know that the information contained on the laptop gave you access to some of the best information technology specialists in the world.”

“What’s on the laptop, Felicity?” All amusement faded from Oliver’s expression. He steadily met her eyes, his expression serious and not a little bit scary. Yet Felicity wasn’t scared, quite the opposite in fact. For some reason, she felt safe and somehow she knew that the laptop was safer with him than with its previous owner.

“Classified information related to national security.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity attempts to leave Central City before Oliver and Diggle track her down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I continue to outline, I can't get over the amount of fun I am having as the story develops. Watching my outline and road map become something more is super exciting. As I look at where I'm going, the story will remain a mix of canon and non-canon. What I've left open though, is whether Oliver is the Arrow in my universe. I'm not sure yet but I think it's still early enough for me to leave that decision for a later chapter. Although, not too much later!!
> 
> Thank you for the messages after the last update. I do appreciate them all! I hope you continue to enjoy the story that I'm telling.

"Miss? Miss? We've arrived at the hotel."  Felicity looked up, startled.  The driver stood by the open door, leaning in to get her attention.  She frowned in confusion at the hotel.

"This isn't my--" Catching herself in time, Felicity pressed her fingers to her eyes and then gathering up her tablet, slid out of the car.  She had become so lost in her memories, she almost let it slip that this wasn't her hotel. While she trusted the service that drove her tonight, Felicity did not want to subject them to an angry Oliver Queen in hunt mode.  And she did not doubt that he was hunting her right now.  Tipping the driver, she thanked him and made her way into the lobby.  Walking in the direction of the hotel restaurant, she passed through a door marked Staff Only and followed the long hallway to the delivery entrance for the restaurant.  Exiting into a deserted back alley, Felicity quickly headed several blocks south from the hotel, moving into the Mosaic District of the city where she caught a cab that took her across town to a more residential area of the city.  Having the driver drop her off at a movie theater, she walked another 20 minutes before coming to her hotel.  It was small, cheap, surprisingly clean, and more importantly it was a far cry from the Magnolia Hotel in downtown Central City. 

Felicity stood still for a moment, emotionally exhausted.  Seeing Oliver and John had shaken her deeply and while she wanted to crawl into bed, pull the sheet over her head and have a good solid cry, she couldn't.  She needed to leave and she needed to leave now. Oliver and John had the power of A.R.G.U.S. behind them and it would not take them long to find her. After all, they taught her everything she knew.  Felicity scrolled through her contacts and finding the one she wanted, initiated a call.

"Palmer."

"Ray, it's me. I need your jet. Tonight."

"Felicity?"

"Who else would demand use of your private jet on such short notice?" Felicity couldn't help but smile. Despite her determination to maintain any and all distance she could between herself and a client, Ray had snuck behind her barricade of ice, set up camp, and refused to leave.

"Hi. How are you? When did you get in town? Are you on a job? I'm fine, by the way. No change in Anna, but she did open her eyes a few times today and yesterday. So that's a good sign."  

"Ray, it's an emergency. I need to leave Central City. Now."  Hearing the stress in Felicity's voice, Ray began tapping out directions to his personal assistant over IM. "Jet is at a private air-strip about an hour away by car.  Lucky for you, they finished the annual maintenance three days ago and it's been cleared to fly.  I'll send my car to pick you up.  Where are you?"

"No, I'll come to you.  I need cash, Ray. I can wire the money--"

"No problem. I'll have cash waiting. Anything else?"

"No.  Thank you for this....I can't...." Felicity took a breath.  "I'll see you in a few. And Ray?"

"Yes?"

"I'm so glad to hear that Anna opened her eyes." Felicity ended the call and quickly gathered her belongings.  The urge to run far and fast was an unrelenting force pressing on her skin.  Despite all the precautions she took, she was afraid. So afraid that they would find her and if they did, she didn't think she would be able to walk away again.

\------------------------

Oliver prowled the office suite like a caged tiger, hands shoved in his pockets, a thunderous scowl on his face. "What do you mean the car service is a dead end? Where did it pick her up from? Where did it drop her off?"

Lyla held up a finger as she finished her phone call.  Hanging up, she shoved a hand through her hair in frustration.  "Oliver, growling at me isn't going to get you the answers you want. What it will do is seriously piss me off. So just let me do this, okay?  I'm essentially using A.R.G.U.S. for your personal hunt of this woman so I have to tread carefully."

"I'm not letting her get away again, Lyla."

"Well since I don't know anything about her and why she wants to get away from you....or John for that matter....I don't care what you will or will not let happen. Just let me do this, okay?"  When Oliver remained silent, Lyla looked to John for his agreement. He nodded, not having moved from where he silently leaned on a desk.  His relaxed posture didn't fool her; she could feel the tension emanating from him in wave after wave. 

"The car was not hired by anyone. It was a favor to Felicity--Felicity, right?---after she helped the owner and his wife out of a tough spot a few years ago. Before you ask, the owner refused to give details. He also refused to give details on where the car picked her up or dropped her off. He only shared what he did to drive home the point that he was loyal to Felicity and he would not betray her." Oliver started to speak, but Lyla's glare had him closing his mouth. He looked over at John, raising an eyebrow. John shrugged and gave him the _if you try to talk right now, you are so on your own_ look.

"However, we were able to trace the car to the Magnolia Hotel in the business district of Central City and security cameras caught a glimpse of Felicity walking into the lobby." Oliver slid his hands out of his pocked, grabbed his suit jacket, heading for the door. John close behind him.

"Oliver, John.  She's not there."

"You just said --"

"Those same cameras caught her walking out the back delivery entrance of the hotel.  She disappears from view shortly after walking away from the hotel.  A traffic camera catches her about two blocks away and then loses her again. We haven't been able to pick her up again.  She's good. Really good."

"Because we taught her to be that good," John quietly said, memories of another time heavy in his voice.  Lyla looked between both men, hands on her hips.  "Who is Felicity?" she asked, already knowing that she meant something to both men.  The fact that John had never mentioned her was a conversation she was saving for a more private time.  She wasn't threatened by Felicity because the pain she saw in John was the same she saw in him when they talked about Andy.  But for Oliver, she knew she meant something. Something more than friendship.  Before either man could answer, her phone rang.

"Michaels," she listened intently and then began firing questions at the caller. "Where is it located? Any sign of anyone other than crew at the field? What about car services or cabs? Anyone called to provide a ride to the field? You did what??" After listening a few more minutes, she hung up.  Oliver and John waited.

"Palmer Technologies just filed a flight plan from a private air-strip about an hour drive out of town.  We don't know where the plane is going. Yet.  Word is that Palmer himself called to get the crew in place to have the plane ready to go in the next two hours.  No car service, but Palmer has his own private car and we just intercepted - no, don't ask me how we intercepted the call because I really don't want to know -  a call from Palmer's personal assistance to his regular driver to have the car ready to go in 20 minutes. Felicity's rescue of Palmer's fiancé was very high-profile. He may be willing to do her a favor to get her out of town quick. If you can get to Palmer Technologies -" and Lyla realized she was talking to air because both Oliver and John had already raced out to the lobby.  Lyla stared after them and wondered again, who Felicity was, _is_ , to Oliver and John. 

\-----------------------------

It was near midnight by the time Felicity met Ray outside the front entrance of Palmer Technologies.  A sleek black car pulled up seconds later, the driver coming around to take her bag.  Felicity kept her tablet and smiled at Ray.

"Ray, I can't thank you enough," she began but Ray was already shaking his head.

"You know there is nothing I wouldn't do for you. You saved Anna, and for that, I am forever in your debt."  Felicity sighed, having learned early on in their friendship that to try to convince Ray otherwise was pointless.  Anna had been missing for months by the time Ray hired Felicity to find her. Every contact with the kidnappers had ended in frustration, with the amount demanded raising higher and higher yet every exchange cancelled despite Ray's willingness to pay anything. After the kidnappers aborted the last cash exchange, Ray called Felicity.  Shortly after, the kidnappers made a demand for the classified design plans of a new advanced missile system that Palmer Technologies was contracted by the government to design.  It was in that demand that the kidnappers made a mistake. Felicity capitalized on that mistake and one week from the date she was hired, Anna was home. Unfortunately, the trauma, and the drugs the kidnappers gave her to keep her quiet, proved too much for Anna and she had not regained conscious since her rescue.

Ray handed Felicity an envelope.

"Five grand," he said.

"I'll wire - " Ray started shaking his head, but Felicity kept talking. "Don't argue. You know I'll win.  As soon as I land, I'll wire the money."

"Stubborn," Ray smiled as he drew her in for a hug.  Felicity's lips quirked upwards. "Takes one to know one." She leaned in briefly and then pulled away. "Thank you, Ray. Thank you." The quiet relief in her voice didn't escape Ray's notice and he frowned in concern.

"Will you be okay?"

"As soon as I get out of here, I'll be fine. I don't know when I'll be back, but you know how to reach me." 

Ray opened the car door for her.  As she went to get in, he took her hand.

"I don't know what or who you are running from, Felicity.  I don't know who put the pain you try so hard to hide in those amazing eyes of yours. But I'm here for you. You know that, right?"  Felicity smiled again and laid a hand on his cheek.  "Thank you, Ray. For everything."  She leaned up to kiss his cheek, surprising him by the contact. She turned to get in the car and froze as two cars careened into the circular drive, effectively boxing in her car.  Both Ray and his driver turned to look as Oliver and John jumped out of one of the cars.  They quickly closed the distance, both men staring hard at Felicity.  She swallowed hard, yet held her ground.  Felicity had always known she was on borrowed time. She never expected to last more than a week let alone five years. She briefly contemplated using Ray and the security team she could see forming in the lobby of the building to escape. Oliver maneuvered himself between her and the car, effectively caging her between his arms.

"Not this time, Felicity. Not this time."  He held her gaze, blue clashing upon blue. A silent war between two people torn apart by circumstances beyond their control.  Oliver held firm, his eyes blazing with such emotion that Felicity's heart clenched in response.  She was so close to him, closer than she had been in years.  She tilted her head in careful study, drinking in Oliver's visage. The sweep of his brows, the arrogance of his mouth, and the endless depths of his eyes.  It was always his eyes that drew her in, that captured her attention, that had her surrendering her heart before she even realized it.  And it was his eyes that decided her this time as well.

"I guess I won't be needing your jet, Ray. Or this." She handed him back his envelope and touched his hand briefly.  She moved in the direction of Oliver's car.  Ray looked from her to Oliver.  Confusion was written all over his face as he recognized Oliver.  But he directed his question to Felicity.

"Are you safe, Felicity?"

"She's safe," said John, closing the door to Ray's car.

"I'm not asking you."

"But I'm answering," John's voice was deceptively mild as he stared down Ray.

"I'm fine, Ray. If anything, I'm safer than I have been in years." Felicity gave him a half smile before turning away again, following Oliver to the car. She slid in back, surprised when Oliver followed her in.  Neither she or Oliver spoke. They sat in silence as John finished talking to Ray. She raised an eyebrow when the men shook hands, Ray even going so far as to clasp John on the shoulder.  John settled into the driver's seat and looked at both of them in the rear view mirror. Saying nothing, he drove towards Queen Consolidated's satellite office.   

They rode in silence, the conversation they needed to have too intense for the short car ride.  Felicity's heart was pounding and she could feel the beginning of a headache forming in the back of her head.  She was so numb.  The shock of being this close to Oliver after five years of running was a physical pain in her heart.  She felt him shift next to her and for a moment she thought he was going to take her hand.  Instead, he clenched his fist and stared resolutely out his window. God, this hurt and she unconsciously rubbed her fist against her chest.  By the time they arrived at Queen Consolidated, Felicity wanted to scream from the rising tension. She escaped from the car, and headed to the elevators.  Still not speaking to her, Oliver and John flanked her until they reached the executive floor with its small apartments for visiting executives.  Oliver and John spoke in low voices.  Nodding in agreement one more time, John turned back to her. He brushed a finger down her cheek, and headed to another door down the hall.  Felicity looked at John's retreating back to Oliver's stoic face.  She started to speak but bit back the words as Oliver took her arm and ushered her inside the door at the opposite end of the hall.  Felicity immediately turned to face him, ready for battle.  He leaned against the door, arms crossed over his chest.

"Where the fuck have you been, Felicity?"

 

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The second time Oliver and Felicity meet, a new understanding between them removes all pretense in Oliver's need for Felicity's help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I have zero technical expertise. While still light on techno-speak, I anticipate I will be making up more as I get deeper into this story. I'll attempt to make it as authentic as possible, but in Felicity-fashion, just go with it. 
> 
> Thanks again for the lovely comments on the last chapter! It does help keep the creative juices flowing! Mwah!

**_Seven Years Earlier_ **

Since Oliver disappeared from her office with the laptop nearly two weeks prior, Felicity picked up the phone several times a day to call the police, the FBI, the CIA or whomever one called to report this type of thing, but she never followed through. She had no reason to trust or believe Oliver Queen. For god’s sake, the only thing she knew about Oliver was what the tabloids reported or what the ladies were currently gossiping about in the ladies room at QC. Not that she paid much attention to gossip. Okay, so maybe she did when it came to him. But the gossip only perpetuated his reputation as a devil-may-care playboy who cut a swath through the eligible women of Starling City….despite having a girlfriend. Felicity wrinkled her nose in sympathy for poor Laurel Lance. She couldn’t judge though. She never failed to wonder why she was still with Cooper much less living with him. Speaking of Cooper, Felicity glanced at the clock and realized it was just after 6.  If she didn’t leave now, she would be late for dinner with Cooper.

She was almost out the door when her supervisor, Dave, called her back. Felicity closed her eyes and mentally groaned before turning around with a bright smile on her face.

“Felicity, QC cyber security reports were just dropped off. Mr. Queen wants your review on his desk by tomorrow morning.” Felicity’s supervisor looked everywhere but at Felicity as he handed her two, three-inch binders filled to capacity with minute data. Felicity looked at the binders and then at Dave.

“Tomorrow is Saturday, Dave. Did you happen to mention that to QC when they delivered the report after 6 p.m. on a Friday?”

“QC is our client so of course I assured them that Mr. Queen would have your review.” As usual, Felicity’s sarcasm went right over Dave’s head and as usual, Dave did nothing to support his employees or their need for breaks from their job.

“I have a date, Dave, with my boyfriend who, by the way, I've barely seen all week because I was so busy accommodating QC.”  She tried to stare Dave down but it was impossible when he refused to meet her eyes. What a wuss, Felicity thought. Sighing, she headed back to her closet thinking about how she so deserved an office with a window for dealing with QC. She texted Cooper and cancelled their plans. After grabbing a coffee from the break room, Felicity settled in for a long night of reading. Her phone beeped and seeing Cooper’s less-than-understanding response, she knew that she would be going home to a drunk and, hopefully, passed out boyfriend.

It was close to 10 p.m. when Felicity put down the last binder. Robert Queen continued test her skills. At this point, Felicity couldn’t tell if he still doubted her abilities or if he was just having fun. She was betting that Mr. Queen had no idea what fun was.  Suddenly conscious of how quiet the office had become, Felicity realized that she must be the last one in the building. She walked down what Dave called the “grand stairway” that led straight into the lobby entrance of Viperidae. Double checking the locks on the door as well as the perimeter alarm, Felicity stared out into the street, watching couples walking towards the martini bar a few doors down or into the small Moroccan restaurant across the street. She couldn’t remember the last time she had enjoyed a drama-free night out with friends. She thought of Cooper out drinking and wondered what type of reception she would get when she went home. For the millionth time, Felicity wondered why she didn’t just end it. Pulling an elastic band out of her pocket, she gathered her hair into a messy topknot as she turned to go back upstairs. She yelped when she saw a large figure step out from the hall that led to the delivery entrance. Recognizing Oliver, Felicity bent over with her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath.

“Jesus Christ, Oliver. Don’t you knock?” Straightening, Felicity glared at him as he smiled at her reaction. He was wearing a dark blue Henley, sleeves pushed up on his forearms, and a pair of well-worn jeans. Felicity’s mouth watered at the sight. Blushing, she swallowed and covered her sudden appreciation of Oliver in jeans with a cough.

“I didn’t think you would hear me at the delivery entrance so I let myself in.”

“Obviously,” Felicity said in exasperation. “What are you doing here?”

“I was hoping you could help me again.” Oliver gave her another smile, the patented Oliver Queen smile. Felicity found she was suddenly angry, not to mention disappointed, at being on the receiving end of it.   Oliver in jeans was no longer hot as hell. Right now, he was annoying as hell.

“Don’t. Just don’t. Don’t turn on the fake Oliver Queen charm with me. If you need a favor, just ask, but don’t pull that playboy crap with me. You can leave the way you came in.” Giving him an extremely disappointed look, she started walking back up the stairs to her office, muttering something about improving the security of the building no matter what Dave the Wuss had to say about it.

Oliver stared at Felicity’s retreating figure in surprise. Once again, Felicity knocked him back and threw him for a loop. She didn’t respond to him like most women. Oh, he knew she liked what she saw, and he wasn’t above using the famous Oliver Queen charm to worm his way in to a place or get information he needed.   But despite liking what she saw, Felicity didn’t let it dictate her actions. He underestimated Felicity, again, simply because she was young. Oliver hated that he put that look of disappointment on her face and he realized that he never wanted her to look at him like that again. He wanted her to know him…to _see_ him. He hurried up the stairs after her, stopping when she whirled around half-way up. Oliver could see she was ready to lay into him again.

“I’m sorry,” Oliver quickly said, all pretense gone. “I could use your help again, Felicity. I wouldn’t ask but once again, I don’t have a lot of time.” Oliver held out a thumb drive. “I need your help getting past the security on this.”

Felicity took the thumb drive from his hand, fingers brushing over his palm. Electricity sparked between them, both of them jumping at the unexpected contact. Oliver shoved his hands in his pocket to keep himself from reaching for her. What is it about her, he wondered for the millionth time, that so fascinated him? Since he last saw Felicity, she occupied his thoughts constantly. He didn’t understand it. She was the complete opposite of any woman he’d ever dated much less been attracted to; the dyed, black hair currently gathered messily on her head, the black cargo pants with an olive green tank that just barely covered her midriff. But her penchant for the dark, Goth look couldn’t hide the elegant sweep of her cheekbones, or the irresistible fullness of her bottom lip that just begged to be nibbled on. It was a far cry from the bright polished looks of any of the women in his life. He had a feeling, though, that Thea would adore her. Oliver shook his head, surprised he even thought about what his sister would think of Felicity.

Felicity spun the thumb drive between her fingers, looking back and forth between it and Oliver. He stood silently, letting her decide without further trying to convince her. She glanced once more at the thumb drive, and then met his eyes. It was as before; time slowly ticking to a stop, the noise of traffic fading away until she could hear nothing but him. And in that moment, Felicity saw him. She saw the Oliver Queen he hid from the public, from his friends, and perhaps even his family. She saw a man struggling with the duality of his personality, fighting for something bigger than all of them, and perhaps fighting for something for himself. She saw his heart and it was good. His eyes decided her and she had a sudden premonition that the way he looked at her would be the measure of any decision she made that involved Oliver.

“Okay,” she said and started back up the stairs. He followed quickly, surprised.

“Okay? That’s it?”

“What? You want me to ask 20 million questions because I can certainly do that. I have no problem asking questions.”

“Well, no –“

“Exactly. You wouldn’t answer them anyway. No, don’t try to tell me different. What about that laptop? Since I didn’t see any reports about any breaches in national security on the news, can I assume that the information remained safe?” Oliver stayed silent. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

Felicity pulled a tablet from a drawer in her desk. She inserted the thumb drive and waited as her tablet went through the process of recognizing the device. Oliver sat in the same chair as before, his large frame making her closet feel even smaller than usual which was saying a lot because it was small. She felt surrounded by him, by his body, and his scent. Felicity inhaled the clean, sharp scent of him with every breath. Oliver was sex on a stick and she began to wonder what it would be like to lick him. She blinked at the sudden thought, and suddenly felt overwhelmed by the sheer force of his presence. Felicity shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

“Jesus, your big aren’t you?” she said, and then clapped a hand over her mouth, closing her eyes in mortification. When she re-opened them, it was to a grinning Oliver.  She glared at him and he made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a laugh. Stupidly pleased to have made him laugh, she turned back to her tablet and activated her personal decryption software. The thumb drive had multiple layers of encryption with fail safe keys scattered throughout those layers. The fail safe keys triggered a data dump as well as a warning message sent to the same mystery server as the laptop. If those fail safes weren’t deactivated before moving on to the next layer of encryption, the value of the thumb drive would be lost. Glancing up at the clock, she turned to Oliver.

“This is going to take some time. I’m talking a few hours at least. Can you leave me the thumb drive overnight?” Oliver was already shaking his head in refusal. “Seriously, Oliver, I’m not going to run off with your thumb drive.”

“It’s not that,” Oliver paused and then making a split second decision, continued. “I don’t know that it’s safe for you to have it.” Felicity froze, her long, graceful fingers hovering above the keyboard of her tablet. She slowly turned in her chair to face Oliver, her knees bumping into his.  Oliver put a hand on her knee, steadying her and holding her in place.  Felicity tried to ignore the heat of his hand and the fact that he kept his hand on her knee. 

“Who’s thumb drive is it, Oliver?” No answer, not that she expected one. She tried a different tact, not really expecting a response. “Does anyone know you have it?”

“One person. Someone I work with and trust implicitly.”  Surprised he answered, Felicity nodded. 

“If no one outside your friend knows you have it, then no one knows you gave it to me. I’ll be fine. I’ll meet you here in the morning.” 

Oliver studied her for minute, remembering how she stared longingly out the front doors at people heading out for drinks or dinner. An idea took hold, and he couldn’t let it go. He gave her a slow smile that made her swallow hard.

“I have a better idea.  How about we get something to eat at that Moroccan place across the street and then come back and see where we are at?” Felicity looked at Oliver in surprise. At that moment, her stomach growled and this time Oliver laughed out loud. He stood and pulled on a baseball cap that she hadn’t noticed was stuffed in his back pocket. He tugged the brim down low, obscuring his features. He held out his hand. 

“Come on. Let’s feed you.”  Oliver could almost see Felicity's thoughts as she held an internal debate about whether to go with him.  Or perhaps she was wondering if she should take his hand.  Oliver really wanted her to take his hand.  After another moment, Felicity took his hand.  Oddly please, he led her back out the way he came in, keeping her hand in his, conscious of the fact that she wasn't pulling away.  He brushed his thumb across the top of her hand, and she squeezed his hand in response.  By unspoken agreement, they let go as they came out of the alley.  As they made their way across the street, Oliver asked Felicity why she had been at work so late. She rolled her eyes and said something about the demanding nature of the Queen men. Oliver pestered her to explain, but she refused to say more. They were laughing as they walked into the restaurant, unaware of a pair of eyes that followed their every move.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver finally has Felicity back after searching her for five years but her reasons for leaving are overshadowed by the knowledge Felicity has about a super-virus and the man who killed Thea and Andy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for all the kudos and positive comments. I confess, this chapter was a struggle for me. There is so much left unsaid between Oliver and Felicity and it's taking longer than I'd like for them to get there, but this chapter would not let me talk about why Felicity left. Not yet.
> 
> Another disclaimer: I don't read the comics so any comic character names that are used will bear zero resemblance to their original characterization.

_“Where the fuck have you been, Felicity?”_

The bluntness of the question should have stirred some sort of response in her. Outrage, perhaps, at being spoken to in such a manner. Or, maybe mild amusement that Oliver thought she would actually answer his question. Of course, it’s not that she wouldn’t answer; she just didn’t know how to answer. How do you suddenly explain, after five years, that you ran because of something you discovered that you were never meant to know? Surely, somewhere, there is a manual for this, Felicity thought. A book, a guide, something that tells people how to have a reunion with the man you love but left without explaining why you left and then ran from for five years. There must be a _right_ way to start this explanation, but her mind was frozen, caught off guard at the sudden appearance of Oliver and John back into her life. This conversation wasn’t supposed to happen now. It was supposed to have happened later, on her terms. She was not in control here.  Although, if she was going to be honest, Felicity didn’t believe that this moment would ever have been in her control.

This was Oliver. Incredibly angry and beautiful Oliver, waiting for an answer as the hot blue of his eyes took her in with one sweep. This conversation was never going to be easy simply because it was Oliver. Over the years, Felicity had been drawn to the tabloid headlines that featured Oliver and his latest outrageous behavior. Pure fiction, but it wasn’t the stories that drew her. It was the photographs. She had been hungry for any photograph of him and the tabloids always had the best photos. Now, reality was in front of her and Felicity realized that should she never see Oliver again after tonight, photos would never again be an acceptable substitute. Felicity’s eyes roamed over his face, lingering on the sensual curve of his lips currently set in a hard line, the angle of his jaw, and had the sudden overwhelming urge to step into his arms and wrap herself in his scent. Felicity took a deep breath, and caught a hint of the clean, sharp scent that she always associated with Oliver.

Felicity realized what she had done at the same time as Oliver. His expression softened and he straightened from the door, coming closer. He was so close that Felicity had to tilt her head back to look at him. His hand lifted to cup her cheek and Felicity held her breath wanting, _needing_ , to feel the touch of his fingers on her face. He hesitated, and it was that slight hesitation that brought Felicity back to herself. What was she doing? Two minutes alone with the man and she was ready to just fall into his arms. All these years of creating the perfect set of armor and in a single moment it fails. She shouldn’t have been surprised because when it came to Oliver, she was always weak. She jerked back and with as much dignity as she could muster – not that she had much left since she just spent time _sniffing_ Oliver - she walked into the living room. She needed space.

Oliver followed Felicity, carefully maintaining his distance. There was a wariness about Felicity that he didn't recognize, a reserve that made her almost unrecognizable, forming a barrier between them. He wasn’t sure he knew what he was doing right now. In all the years she was missing, Oliver could never think beyond just finding her. He never let himself think beyond the first step.  Step one, find Felicity. Step two, just concentrate on step one. And now step two was staring at him with a storm of emotion brewing in her eyes, and he was at a loss. He still couldn’t believe she was here. She was standing right in front of him, the same yet so different, and he still could not believe it. He was completely off-kilter, his need to know why she left, where she had gone warring with the need to just hold her close, to feel her breathing against him.  It had never been awkward with Felicity, even in her most unfiltered moments.  There had always been a natural ease, an ability to talk about those things that neither of them talk about to anyone else.

“What happened, Felicity? Why did you disappear?” He spoke quietly into the silence, not sure how to get past her reserve, how to get her to open up to him again.  Felicity didn’t turn from the windows. She met his gaze in the reflection of the glass, her body stiff, arms folded across her middle. Instead of answering his questions, she asked her own.

“Why were you trying to hire me, Oliver? What did you need from someone on the outside when you have all of A.R.G.U.S. at your disposal?”

“We can talk about that later.  Right now, I need to know, Felicity, where have you been for the last five years?”

She shook her head, her gaze moving back to the view of Central City. She could not do this right now.  She needed time to re-build her walls, protect her heart from being further battered at her own foolishness. It wasn't fair to Oliver, he had no idea what she knew or who she was. He didn't know the role, however inadvertent, she played in Thea's death.  Felicity shook her head again, needing to calm her emotions, a chance to push her emotions down, away from the surface.

“I can’t, Oliver. Not right now. I can’t do this” a gesture with her hand motioning between them “right now.”

“I think that I...we...deserve some sort of explanation as to why you would just take off.”

It was difficult, but Oliver kept his voice even despite the desire to push and prod until Felicity came clean.

“Let’s just start with why you needed my help. Everything else....it can wait...for now,” Felicity hesitated a moment and then added, “Please.”

It was her whispered plea that had Oliver backing off. There was such a world of hurt in that one word. It hung heavy in the air and in that moment, Oliver knew that whatever had made her leave had destroyed the Felicity he knew on some fundamental level. He could push and push until he had his way but instinct told him that to do so would ruin any chance of fixing whatever it was that caused this change. He found her. Right now, that was all that mattered.

Oliver moved over to the bar, grabbing a bottle of water. He held one out to Felicity, who took it gratefully. Taking off his suit jacket and tie, he settled on the sofa, and taking a long drink before answering.

“There are two individuals John and I have been tracking for a...few years. They are not related, but each has something we need.  The first is an unknown.  We don't know if he really exists.  For that matter, it could be a she.  What we do know is that the other individual, man by the name of Lucas Hunt, is also searching for that person.  We think he has a lead on him or her and we want to get to that person first.  Lucas Hunt is almost completely off the grid. He has one item, some sort of tablet or something, that is linked to an incredibly secure server.”

Felicity nodded as Oliver spoke, using the time to gather her wits about her. She already knew what Oliver needed. It’s the same thing she had been chasing for the last five years. As he spoke, she began rebuilding her fortress around her heart. It was wobbly at best, but strong enough to focus on the facts, on the job, so to speak. This was a conversation she could control because she was way ahead of Oliver in this matter. She focused back on what Oliver was saying.

“We can't find the server.  We need access to that server, to get to the person Lucas is chasing. To protect that person."  Felicity studied Oliver in a way that took him back to the first time they met.  He could see her weighing her response as well as picking apart what he had told her.

“Why can’t A.R.G.U.S. get you what you need? They have extremely skilled individuals.”

Oliver nodded, acknowledging the truth of her words. “Mine and John’s interests diverge from A.R.G.U.S. at this point, and have for, um, a few years. A.R.G.U.S. would like to get their hands on this person as well and we know that sometimes A.R.G.U.S. doesn't always play nice.  Besides, there is no one better than you.”

“If that’s the case, why use A.R.G.U.S. as a front to meet me?” Felicity asked, ignoring Oliver’s compliment.

“You would never have agreed to meet with Oliver Queen.” Oliver shook his head. “Or rather, the person we thought we were meeting would never agree to meet with Oliver Queen, the playboy.  And since you turned out to be the person we were trying to meet, you never would have agreed to the meeting if John, or I, reached out to you. You were still running from us.”

“True…on both counts. If A.R.G.U.S.’ interests are different, why was this Lyla Michaels willing to help set up the meet?”

“She’s John’s wife.” Felicity’s jaw dropped in surprise and then for the first time since finding her, Oliver saw the Felicity that entranced him all those years ago. A beatific smile lit her face, her eyes shining in true joy. That warmth that always beckoned to the coldness in his soul burst forward and in that very moment, that single perfect moment, he felt whole.

“Married? Digg married…” she murmured, still smiling.

“They have a baby,” Oliver blurted out, wanting to keep that smile on her face. He grinned at her sudden laugh, and suddenly they were smiling at each other. Time slowed as they smiled into each other’s eyes and as before, he felt them connect on a deeper level. Only now, it was weighed with a hurt that he could not define. He saw the shadows creep back into her eyes, and her smile faded. She glanced away, taking a sip of water to cover her discomfort. She cleared her throat.

“It's not one server, Oliver, it's actually four.  Four servers located in four different countries on four different continents.”

Oliver stared at Felicity in surprise. He sat up, leaning forward, resting his arms on his knees. He didn’t know what to say. Turns out it didn’t matter as Felicity dropped another bomb into the quiet that had taken over the room.

“And you want access to those servers so you can plant a super-virus?”

Oliver stayed silent for a moment. When he did speak, it was with caution.

“Super-virus?”

Felicity raised an eyebrow. Standing, she tossed her empty bottle into a recycle bin by the island separating the kitchen from the living area. She leaned against the counter, more in control, and pretended to examine her manicure, absently noting that she actually did need one.

“Yes, a super-virus. A super-virus created by this other person both you and Lucas Hunt are chasing.  Actually, the same super-virus you’ve been hunting for the better part of seven years but haven’t found. That’s the other part of the job, right? Find this super-virus?”

Oliver was stunned. The information Felicity knew existed in no record, electronic or otherwise. It existed in conversations between him and John, or with Lyla. Any mention of the super-virus disappeared from archives and existed only in legend. The creator of the super-virus now a legend in hacking circles as well as official government circles.

“You know exactly where these servers are?” he asked, stalling for time. What did Felicity know of the super-virus?

Felicity nodded. “Yes. As well as the access codes to enter the premises in which they are housed. Remote access is impossible. Cyber traps are insane, designed to withstand a hack even if you know the code that created the traps.”

Felicity straightened, adjusting the line of her blaze, heart pounding as she waited for Oliver’s inevitable question.

“The super-virus…did you find it, or the person who created it?”

And there it was. Past and present were on a collision course.  It was time to stop running. This moment had come sooner, rather than later, but Felicity had always known that for what she needed to do next, she needed Oliver and John’s help.

“Yes,” she nodded.

Oliver didn’t know what to think. This conversation was not at all what he expected. He thought he would have to beg Felicity for her help. And he had been prepared to beg. But this information, her knowledge, took everything to a brand new level. He felt the first stirrings of excitement at the idea that he and John were closer than they had ever been in their search for the man who killed Thea and Andy and the super-virus that threatened to the world should their target get his hands on it.

“Felicity, this is everything. You have no idea.  We need to get to him - is it a him? Before Lucas.  Do you know where he is?”

Absurdly, Felicity was enjoying Oliver’s reaction to how far ahead she was of him. It was, sort of, almost like old times, when she had anticipated the team’s needs. Only this time, she was about to rock his world about what had been in front of him all those years ago. Felicity gave Oliver a small smile.

“Oliver, you aren’t listening. You’ve already found the creator. You found her seven years ago when you brought her a bullet-ridden laptop and tried to convince her it belonged to you.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A break-up text sends Felicity out with a friend where she unexpectedly meets Thea and runs into Oliver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank everyone for the kind comments after the last chapter. Also, I finally realized that I could respond individually to the comments, so I hope to do that more often in the future. I'm still figuring out AO3 and for some reason, I completely missed the "reply" button!
> 
> This chapter is a bridge to help move the flashbacks forward a bit quicker. I hope you all enjoy!

_Seven Years Earlier_

It was near midnight on Saturday and as Thea would say, the club was “hoppin’.” Oliver stood in the VIP section of the upper level of Verdant, watching the crowd of people gyrating to the music pulsing through the sound system. He could feel his head beginning to pound in sync with the beat of what Thea assures him is the hottest sound in Starling City. He was perplexed by the enthusiastic dancing he was currently observing, wondering why anyone in their right mind would think that flapping their arms like a chicken was the definition of fun. Of course, Oliver thought ruefully, as Thea would say, he had no idea what it meant to have fun these days. She wasn’t wrong. But in this instance, the selection of the DJ, the special on drinks, Thea had been spot on. Verdant was filled to capacity with a line wrapped around the corner. Come to think of it, Thea had been spot on with every suggestion she made to increase the club’s business. Oliver made a mental note to give her a raise although he wasn’t worried about forgetting; Thea asked for a raise nearly every day.

Looking at his watch, he wondered if it was too late in the evening to check in with Felicity on the latest project he had given her yesterday.  He had brought her a java chocolate milkshake from Big Belly Burger along with the hard drive, admitting it was a bribe when she called him out on it. It had become a running joke between them. He'd show up to ask for help and she would lament that he never brought her flowers or coffee. So this time, when she teased him about forgetting the candy, he whipped out the shake from behind his back. He remembered the look of delight in her eyes when he handed it over and then the moan of pleasure she made when she took her first sip. Eyes closed, her tongue flicking out to lick a drop on her lower lip, Felicity’s unrestrained enjoyment of the shake had sent a jolt through Oliver.  As a result, he had to remind himself that despite this connection they shared, Felicity was not for him.

Felicity had a boyfriend and Oliver was, well, Oliver Queen. Despite her obvious attraction to him, and vice versa, she maintained a careful distance between them since their dinner almost three months ago. He didn’t push the boundaries she established. Their eyes may linger on one another longer than necessary, but neither made any move to test the nearly tangible electricity between them. Besides, his friendship with Felicity was the first true friendship, aside from John’s, that Oliver treasured. It wasn’t something he wanted to mess up and since it was him, he knew any move on his part could _really_ mess it up. And Oliver needed Felicity. He needed her skills, but he needed what her presence offered even more. The brief moments he spent with her soothed his soul in an inexplicable way. While Felicity knew he was keeping secrets from her, she never pressed, trusting him when he said he was on the “right side.” It made him uncomfortable, that trust she seemed to instinctively have in him, especially since he was keeping so much from her. The right thing to do would be to drop out of her life completely. Or tell her the truth which would probably result in her dropping out of his life completely.  But he was selfish, and so he kept going back, kept withholding the truth.  Giving into his need to hear her voice, Oliver decided to step out back and call her.

He was at the top of the stairs when he spied a familiar figure entered the club. Oliver stared in surprise at Felicity’s appearance. At first, he thought perhaps she had come to find him but then saw she was with a friend.  Smiling at the idea of Felicity having a girl’s night, he was about to head down to greet her when she took off her coat and handed it over to the coat check. Oliver froze, hand clenching the railing, and tried to remember to breathe. _She was wearing a dress._ And not just any dress, but a dress designed to bring a man to his knees.  A purple so deep it was almost black, it skimmed over her curves perfectly, ending just above the knee.  Long, sleekly muscled legs were made all the more drool-worthy by the sky-high sandals she wore.  Felicity in cargo pants and tanks made him itch to touch her, but this...Oliver was on fire. And he was ready to take out every man that even glanced in her direction. Her hair was pulled sleekly back into a top knot, the streaks of dark purple glimmering in the club lights. She spoke over her shoulder to her friend, gesturing towards the bar. Felicity and her friend snaked their way through the crowd, snagging two coveted seats at the bar just below him. Felicity faced away from him, and Oliver saw the dress was backless, exposing the smooth skin of her back.  He closed his eyes and found that he was counting to ten. When he opened them, he saw that Thea was talking to Felicity and her friend.

Oliver stayed out of sight, trying to gain some semblance of control.  Thea poured two shots of something for Felicity and her friend. He studied Felicity’s body language, noticing that it was off. The slight slump of her shoulders was not how she normally carried herself. Thea spent a few minutes speaking with them and he suddenly wished he could hear what they were saying. Felicity pulled out her phone and handed it to Thea. He frowned at the outrage on Thea’s face. Thea poured three more shots and after saying something that had all of them laughing, the three women lifted their glasses in a toast before downing the shot. Felicity then said something that had her friend and Thea laughing hysterically. After a moment, Felicity shook her head and joined in. Another round of shots was poured and tossed back. After another comment from Felicity, another round of laughter erupted between the women, and Oliver saw Thea go for the bottle again. Hmmm...Oliver didn’t know much about Felicity’s drinking habits, but something told him that this was probably more than Felicity drank in any given week let alone one night. He decided it was time to make an appearance.

\---------------

Thea and the bartenders moved around each other as they kept the drinks flowing. Quickly popping the tops from a couple of bottles of Stella, Thea slid them across the bar to the cute guys waiting, winking as she took their cash, not bothering with the pretense of offering change. They smiled back and toasted her before melting into the crowd. Thea paused, taking in the crowd with pride. She did this, or at least she helped do this. _Time to ask Ollie for a raise_ , she thought. Smiling at the idea of that conversation, Thea headed over to the two women who snagged prime seats near the other end of the bar, just under the stairs that led to the VIP section. Glancing upwards, Thea thought she saw her brother staring down at the woman with the dark hair. She moved to the side to get a better look without the club lights blinding her, but didn’t see him. Shrugging, she made her way over. The blonde was speaking animatedly to the other woman, who appeared not quite sad, but not happy either.  The acoustics of the club kept the music level reasonable in this area, so it wasn't hard to hear what the blonde was saying.

“...he’s a piece of shit, Felicity. A chicken-shit piece of shit.”

Thea smiled. Boyfriend trouble equaled shots. Tequila shots, was Thea’s guess.

“What can I get you ladies?” she asked, wiping down the counter before placing two coasters in front of them.

“Mmmmm…cosmos!” the blonde said. Thea looked at her in surprise and was about to comply when she saw the other girl, Felicity, rolling her eyes.

“Seriously, Claire? Cosmos? If anything, this calls for tequila.” Looking at Thea, the woman, Felicity, held up two fingers. Thea nodded and poured them both a shot. Before she could get the salt and limes, Felicity had already downed her shot. Claire downed hers as well, albeit a little bit more slowly. She coughed a bit, while Felicity just stared at her empty glass.

“Whoa,” Thea laughed, “that bad, huh?”

“You have no idea,” Felicity said, as she slid the empty shot glass towards Thea. Her friend, Claire, nodded in agreement.

“No idea. We are going to need lots of shots. Many shots. Felicity was dumped. By text.”

Thea raised her eyebrows. “No! Really?”

Felicity picked up her phone from the bar. Accessing her text messages, she flipped it around for Thea to read.

_Cooper: I’m done. Already moved out. Cable bill is past due. Hope your computers keep you warm._

Thea saw that Felicity had never replied. She approved. No text like that deserved a reply.

“Well that’s just shitty. Yes, you need shots. Many shots.”

Thea poured them both another shot, and added one for herself. Thea lifted her glass in a toast.

“To chicken shit men with chicken-neck sized dicks.”

Felicity’s mouth fell open in surprise and suddenly they were all laughing. Clinking glasses, they downed their shots at the same time.

Felicity felt the warm buzz of tequila in her stomach. She hadn’t wanted to come out, but when Claire saw the text from Cooper, she wouldn’t take no for an answer. Pints of mint chip and a marathon of sob-worthy romantic dramas were for another night, she’d insisted. Tonight was for drinking, dancing, and maybe even randomly kissing a few hot men. Not exactly Felicity’s scene and it was for that reason alone she let Claire drag her to Verdant. Felicity smiled at the bartender in appreciation.

“It was more needle-sized, but isn’t that what a dildo is for? To make up the difference?”

The bartender’s eyes widened and she started to giggle. Claire doubled over in laughter.

“Not that I own one, because why would I when I have...had...a boyfriend and he wasn’t always that bad. I mean sometimes he was okay...” Felicity’s voice trailed off as she looked at Thea and Claire. Both were laughing hysterically. Thea poured three more shots.

“To needle-sized dicks!” Thea said, lifting her shot glass.

They toasted each other again, and downed the shots. Felicity realized she just had three shots of tequila in less than 10 minutes. That was more than what she drank in any given week. She was so going to be hurting tomorrow. She was angry at herself for letting her relationship with Cooper drag on longer than she should have and angry at Cooper for not speaking up sooner. But mostly, she was angry at herself because she knew she had been emotionally withdrawing from their relationship for the better part of six months. It wasn’t just the insane hours she worked to satisfy QC, but more recently, it was those extra hours she gave to Oliver that should have been spent with Cooper. Not telling Cooper what she was doing added more strain to their relationship. It had begun before Oliver even entered her life, but his appearance had hastened the fall. She knew it was bad but didn’t realize how far things had deteriorated until tonight. Just as she was leaving the office to meet him for dinner, to talk about ending their relationship, Cooper sent her a break-up text.

“I can’t believe he broke up with you over text,” the bartender was saying. “Who does that?”

“Chicken shit men with needle-sized dicks,” Felicity promptly responded, causing all three ladies to burst out laughing again. The bartender immediately put three fresh glasses on the bar and poured them all another shot. Before the bartender could pass the drinks across the bar, a large, male hand landed on her wrist.

“Thea…”

Felicity’s eyes widened at the voice she recognized instantly. Felicity slowly looked up into Oliver’s eyes. There was a look in his eyes as he stared at her that had her flushing. Eyes meeting and holding, everything around them just...fell away. It was just them, Oliver and Felicity.   _She is so damn beautiful_ , Oliver thought. _He has to stop looking at me like that_ , Felicity sighed. A squeal from someone nearby broke the spell and Felicity noticed the bartender looking from Oliver to Felicity. Jesus, Felicity suddenly thought, did Oliver call the bartender Thea? Because that would mean...looking between the two, Felicity realized that the very cool bartender was one Thea Queen.

“Oh fuck,” she said, “of course this would happen to me….”

“Do you two know each other?” asked Thea.

“No!”

“Yes,” came Oliver’s response at the exact same moment.

Felicity glared at him. Oliver gave her the patented Oliver Queen smile, which made her only glare harder. He winked at her and Felicity found herself completely charmed by it.

“Thea, Felicity works for the firm that handles QC’s cyber-security. We’ve met a few times at the office.”

Felicity raised her eyebrows at him.  She was rewarded with a raised eyebrow of his own (she really needed to learn that trick) and one of his long, smoldering looks. _He really, really had to stop doing that_ , Felicity thought.

“Well, my dear brother, Felicity had a shit day thanks to a chicken shit boyfriend who dumped her via text.”

Claire nodded vigorously, even holding Felicity’s phone out for Oliver to see. Oliver skimmed the text. _What an asshole_ , he thought. Felicity eyes widened in mortification at Thea telling Oliver that she had been dumped.  She dropped her face into her hands.

“Someone just please kill me now. Please.”

Thea ignored her as she wiped the bar again, dumping the forgotten shots into the sink under the bar. She nodded to Oliver in understanding of what he hadn’t said in front of Felicity and Claire.

“So we were toasting good riddance to this chicken shit with, according to Felicity, a needle-sized dick,” continued Thea.

“Oh. My. God.” Felicity groaned as Thea continued to prattle. She heard Oliver snort with laughter. Claire put a hand on Felicity’s shoulder and squeezed.

“It’s okay, Felicity, no one would blame you now if you bought a dildo. By the way,” she said, turning back to Oliver. “I’m Claire, I work with Felicity.”

“Claire!” Felicity shrieked, heading popping up from behind her hands. Felicity smacked her grinning friend and then promptly buried her face back in her hands.

“And I’ve decided that Felicity and Claire’s drinks are on the house for tonight. Although first, after those shots...” Thea slid two waters across the bar.

“Just let me wake up from whatever nightmare this is,” Felicity begged. She dropped her hands from her face. Studiously avoiding looking at Oliver, she glared at Thea and Claire.

“Thea, thank you for the free drinks, I fully intend to indulge in a few more before the night is over, but for the love of God, stop telling your brother about my unsatisfying sex life...oh, Jesus Christ, did I just say that?”

Felicity dropped her face in her hands again, her face bright red. Thea and Claire laughed again, this time Oliver joining in. Claire picked up her phone, and began taking random pics around the club as Thea moved away to take a drink orders from other guests. Oliver came around the bar and stood by Felicity. Aware of Thea watching them, he kept his hands in his pocket. Leaning in to avoid being overheard, he spoke in her ear, resisting the urge to nuzzle at her neck.

“So...” he began.

“So help me God, Oliver, one word and I will smack you.”

“Hey, I was just going to ask if you needed a loan for the cable bill.” Felicity jerked up to glare at Oliver. He was grinning and she couldn’t help it. She laughed.

“You okay?” he asked, because even with her laughter, he could see the hint of sadness in her eyes. She nodded, giving a small shrug. At that moment, Claire’s eyes lit up at the song that came on over the sound system. Grabbing Felicity’s hand, and pulled her from the stool.

“This song is hot, Felicity. Let’s dance...” Felicity glanced apologetically at Oliver and Thea and turned to follow Claire to the dance floor. She glanced wistfully at their seats, but Thea was shooing her along.

“Dance, drink, have fun! I’ll save your seats!” called Thea, and promptly had a bartender rope off the two seats at the bar. Oliver barely noticed. He was too busy glaring at the man that was staring at Felicity in appreciation. What the fuck is wrong with me, he wondered for the millionth time, as he glared at another guy who was about to follow Felicity to the dance floor. Catching his gaze, the guy froze where he was and then quickly moved in the opposite direction.

Oliver continued to follow Felicity with his eyes until she disappeared into the crowd of dancers. Feeling a presence by his side, he looked down to see Thea smiling at him.

“Not a word,” he said. She only smiled bigger.

\---------------------

It was after one in the morning before Oliver was able to speak to Felicity again. He found her back at the bar, with a very drunk Claire leaning against her. Felicity put her in one of the chairs and then leaned across the bar to talk to Thea.

“Thea, can you keep an eye on Claire while I run out to call a cab?”

“Thea can call you a cab from the bar and one of the bouncers will help you take Claire outside.”

Felicity jumped at Oliver’s voice, and then stumbled as she whipped around. Oliver put a hand on her hip to steady her as she grabbed his arm.

“Jesus, Oliver, you need a bell or something. Always sneaking up on people.”

“It’s a club Felicity; you wouldn’t have heard the bell anyway.”

“Well, then wear a foghorn for when you’re in the club,” she responded, still holding his arm. Oliver looked down at her disgruntled expression, and felt the tightness in his chest ease now that she was here with him. For the last hour or so, he had caught glimpses of her on the dance floor. She danced mostly with Claire, Thea joining them a few times as well. But she also danced with quite a few men. And every time he had seen them with their hands on her, he went a little crazy. He was only slightly mollified when Felicity would remove their hands whenever they tried to touch the bare skin of her back or the sweet curve of her ass. As a result, Oliver was feeling not a little bit territorial and thus, reckless. He shifted his stance, bringing her in closer to his body and placing his other hand on her neck. Felicity gripped his forearm, her fingers warm on his skin. Oliver bent his head towards her ear. Keeping one eye on Thea, he gave into his earlier desire and nuzzled her neck, sharply satisfied at the sound of her breath catching.

“How is it that your friend...Claire?...is more drunk then you? I thought this was your night to get drunk.” Oliver breathed her in, the light, seductive scent that was uniquely Felicity, clouding his mind. She looked up at him, her eyes smoldering in answer to what he wasn’t saying.

“I stopped drinking after those first few shots,” Felicity responded, her voice breathless. She bit her lip, and Oliver zeroed in on the motion. Time stopped as they gazed into each other’s eyes. There was desire and confusion mingled in Felicity’s gaze, while Oliver’s stare was hot with need. Felicity’s lips parted in anticipation and he bent his head forward to capture her mouth with his own. Oliver froze as he realized what he was about to do.

“Oliver?” she whispered, and he heard her the question she wasn't asking. Closing his eyes, his fingers clenched on her hip.  He rested his forehead for a moment against hers, his thumb sweeping the elegant line of her neck.

“Come on,” he said roughly, “let’s get you and Claire in a cab.”

Swallowing hard at what almost just happened, Felicity turned away, grabbing Claire’s purse from the bar.  Felicity frowned as she noticed Claire's phone sitting on the bar and swept it into Claire's purse.  Shrugging into the jacket that Oliver had retrieved from coat check, they walked outside without speaking. The bouncer put Claire into the cab, nodding his head at them before heading back inside. Oliver opened the other door for Felicity. She was about to step in when she paused. Reaching into her own purse, she pulled out a thumb drive.

“The external hard drive had a failsafe built in, designed to erase the stored data if hacked. I couldn’t stop the failsafe, but I was able to pull the data off before it was destroyed. The hard drive is useless now.” She handed him the thumb drive and slipped into the cab.

Before closing the door, Oliver leaned down.

“Felicity?” He waited until she looked up.

“I really, _really_ , like that dress.” He closed the door before she could say anything and rapped on the roof of the cab. He watched it drive away, not moving for several minutes. He turned and saw his friend, John Diggle, standing behind him.

“You are walking a dangerously thin line with that girl, Oliver.”

Oliver said nothing, just shoved his hands in his pocket and walked back into the club.

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity, Oliver, and Diggle discuss Felicity's past until they are forced to make a hasty get away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the wonderful notes and thank you for reading!

It was the rain that finally woke her from a heavy sleep, her eyes fluttering open reluctantly. Felicity blinked in the dim morning light. She focused on the windows, and saw rain was falling heavily from storm-darkened skies. Lightening flashed brightly in the sky, followed closely by a loud clap of thunder. Felicity didn’t move, curled on her side under the blankets, head cushioned by soft pillows. She blinked heavily, letting the sound of the rain soothe her. She dosed, her mind, for once, blessedly empty. She let it wander where it would, flashes of the past mixed with the present sweeping across her thoughts. It was quiet here, with just the rain as company and Felicity wanted to stay in the quiet, cocooned from whatever it the day would bring her. She allowed herself the luxury of a few more minutes of drifting before rolling over to her back. She could hear someone moving around in the living room and instinctively knew it was Oliver. She thought back to last night. The confusion in his eyes at the distance she maintained between them, a need to touch her, a need she echoed but buried deep. She was so tired of it all. The running, the hiding, the lying. All of it. Sighing, she stretched and then swung her legs over the side of the bed. She shivered in the old t-shirt she used to sleep in. Temperature dropped, she thought absently, watching rivulets of water snake down the window panes.  The smell of coffee propelled her from the bed and into the shower.

Twenty minutes later, feeling infinitely more human and ready to face the day, Felicity pulled on a pair of skinny jeans, and a soft, long-sleeved t-shirt in a deep grey. She layered it with a thin, black cardigan, dropping her phone into the one of the pockets. She pulled her hair up into a high, sleek pony and then pulling a satchel from her suitcase. Setting it on the bed, she doubled checked that it contained her tablet as well as other emergency equipment. Reassured, Felicity quietly entered the living room, her eyes zeroing in on a pillow and neatly folded blanket resting on the back of the couch. She frowned, realizing that Oliver had slept on what looked like the most uncomfortable couch in the world. Probably wanted to make sure she didn’t run, Felicity thought, while her heart told her it was to keep her safe. Or maybe a little bit of both, she compromised. Ignoring the surge of pleasure it gave her to think of Oliver watching over her, Felicity finally noticed the silent and incredibly handsome black man watching her from the breakfast bar.

Felicity said nothing, just walked straight into John’s arms, letting him pull her into a tight hug. She closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around his waist and let out a breath that was suspiciously close to a sob. They stood that way for about a minute and then John kissed the top of her head. Pulling back, he held her gently by her arms. He gave her a serious look, a look that told her all was forgiven but they would have many conversations about her decision-making skills for the foreseeable future. She gave him a watery smile.

“Never again, Felicity, you understand me? Next time, no matter what, you come to me. You always come to me.” He pulled her back into his arms, dropping another kiss on the top of her head.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, “so sorry.”

“I know, Felicity, I know.”

Oliver watched John and Felicity with a feeling close to envy. Not once had she moved to embrace him. She had never moved to touch him. While there had been remorse, she never offered an apology. And she kept her distance, both physically and emotionally. But with John, there was no resistance. She simply moved into John’s arms, guard down, her face crumbling in sorrow.  He no longer needed to know why Felicity had left. He already knew. Felicity had run from him and it was him she kept running from. Oliver took the blow without moving, his eyes fixed on Felicity. He took advantage of her closed eyes to really study her, lingering on the curve of her cheek. He wanted to run his fingers through the silky strands of her hair, realizing how the blonde suited her so much more than the inky black she used to dye it. Suddenly conscious of John watching him, Oliver turned away and busied himself with making her a cup of coffee exactly as she liked it, adding a dash of skim milk and loads of sugar.

Felicity let herself lean on John a few more moments. It had always been thus with Diggle. Friends that bonded over their shared commitment to Oliver, Diggle was her family. He was her brother, her confidant, the rock on which she relied so often all those years ago. Whatever secrets he kept from her, they had not been his to tell. Felicity could not fault him for that same loyalty that had forged their friendship from the beginning. She pulled away, surreptitiously wiping at her eyes. She lifted her head to find Oliver standing on the other side of the breakfast bar from her, holding out a cup of coffee.  

“Morning,” he said, his expression carefully blank. She eyed him warily as she took a sip, finding it exactly as she liked it. She took a longer drink, closing her eyes as the warmth from the brew seeped through her. She sighed.

“Thank you. It’s perfect.” She laid her hand over the phone in her pocket, comforted at its silent presence. They couldn’t linger too long here. Each time she left her home base, she risked Lucas finding her. Felicity took another sip of coffee before turning back to Diggle.  

“I hear you’re married, Diggle. And that you have a baby.” Felicity wondered where his wife was, and if their baby was safe. Knowing Diggle though, the baby was probably in an underground fortress that was locked up tighter than Fort Knox. Unless it was her that was trying to get in which…. Hmmm….she wondered if John would let her enhance whatever security system he had on his home.

“Yes, about six months now. You met Lyla briefly yesterday. She’s going to meet up with us later today.”

“And your baby? Boy? Girl?”

“Her name is Sarah.”

“Daddy Diggle…”

John smiled at the moniker, squeezing Felicity’s shoulder. Rising up on her toes, Felicity kissed his cheek. She settled into one of the bar stools, cradling the cup of coffee.   She took another fortifying sip, watching the rain drench the city, a fog beginning to unfurl around the tall buildings. The sky was steadily growing darker and Felicity shivered. The back of her neck itched. She touched a hand to her silent phone. Felicity cleared her throat.

“I guess you now know the virus you and Oliver were looking for is mine?” Diggle nodded, staying quiet.

“It was during my senior year at M.I.T. I was involved with a group of people who considered themselves hacktivists. We wanted to level the playing field between one percenters and the rest of society.”

Oliver gave a faint smile at her choice of words. Felicity met his eyes, amusement flaringly brightly for a moment before dying out.

“I had never hacked anything before this. Oh, I knew the mechanics of it all, how to write the html and could certainly visualize it. I knew I could do it if I wanted, but I never tried, never thought I would. But then one night, I sat before my laptop, and I created a code that was very nearly beyond my control. I shut it down, and perhaps would have escaped attention if I hadn’t chosen to hack into a federal government system.”

Felicity took another sip of her coffee before continuing. Oliver held up the pot and she shook her head.

“The feds traced the hack back to my computer. I was arrested, taken to jail.” Oliver and John stared at Felicity in surprise. They exchanged glances, completely caught off guard by her admission.

“You went to prison, Felicity?” Oliver asked, trying to picture a young Felicity sitting in a cell.

“For about six hours,” Felicity. “Of course, that was just enough time for me to completely panic. I didn’t see myself fitting in well at a federal penitentiary. Of course, does anyone really fit in?” Oliver suppressed a smile at what he recognized one of Felicity’s random musings. It reassured him, on some level that parts of the woman he knew still existed.

“Just when I thought they had forgotten about me, I was suddenly released, apologies effusively given for their mistake.  I was taken back to campus as if nothing had happened. And to the rest of the world, nothing had happened. No one, not my roommates, Cooper, my professors, the news…no one…knew anything about it. I never heard another word about it.”

Felicity pushed her mug away. She stood, moving over to the windows. She studied the dismal weather, unable to clearly see the building across the street due to the rain and fog. She traced the rain trails on the glass, the cold seeping into her fingertips.

“I graduated six months later with a job offer from Viperidae. I headed to Starling City, none the wiser that my freedom, my job opportunity, my education, all of it was due to Lucas Hunt.”

Oliver didn’t think anything could shock him more than learning that the virus belonged to Felicity. But this, a connection to Lucas Hunt that went back to before she even created the virus, was something more. Why Felicity? What else was in her past that brought her to the attention of a man like Lucas Hunt?

"What do you mean it was all due to Lucas?” asked John, needing that clarification. “What exactly did Lucas do for you?”

“He paid for my school. I thought I had a full scholarship, but it was actually Lucas that gave me the free ride.  He’s been watching me my whole life. And the moment I created that virus, he knew. The how, I haven’t figured out yet, but he knew. And he wanted that virus. He had seen what it could do, the potential that it had. It’s power in a few lines of code and he wants it.”

“How did you come to Lucas’ attention in the first place?” This from Oliver, whose mind was starting to move in a direction that he was hoping to God, was wrong. Turns out he wasn’t.

“Because Lucas Hunt is my father.” At Felicity’s pronouncement, lightening flashed and thunder crashed. Once, Felicity would have rambled about the dramatic timing of the weather, but this wasn’t any other moment.

“When did you realize all of this, Felicity?” Oliver questioned, coming around the breakfast bar to stand next to John. Felicity knew they didn’t realize that they had unconsciously aligned themselves together. They stood across from her, arms folded across their chests, their stances identical. _Partners_ , she thoughts. It struck her then that she was well and truly alone in this. By her choice, she reminded herself. She could have stayed, but instead, she had ran, that young girl terrified to face them, unsure of her worth.

“Lucas came to Starling City a few days before Thea died.”

John inhaled sharply. Oliver took a step towards her, his voice low and furious.

“Lucas Hunt was in Starling City? And you didn’t tell us?”

Felicity’s back stiffened at Oliver’s tone. There was enough blame to go around and while she owned her part in all of this, she would not be responsible for Oliver’s failures.

“Why would I, Oliver?” she countered, softly. “I had no idea that you were looking for Lucas Hunt.”

“That doesn’t matter. The moment he approached you, the moment he made his demands on you, you should have come to us. But you knew who he was and what he wanted. You knew there was nothing legitimate about him. Why wouldn’t you tell us?”

“Because it was about me, Oliver! As far as I knew, this was about me and what I created. It had nothing to do with you. I had no idea that you and Lucas were after the same thing. No idea.”

“With what we do, you know damn well that a threat to one is a threat to all of us. You should have come to us immediately.”

Felicity looked at Oliver and felt such a surge of such anger that she had difficulty tamping it down. When she spoke, her voice shook with fury.

“Don’t you dare lecture me, Oliver Queen! Don’t you dare! You are not exactly the poster boy for sharing information let alone information relevant to the person you are withholding it from. So don’t you dare lecture me about what I should have done.” Felicity was breathing hard with the effort of keeping her temper. She saw the moment John understood what she had just said. He put a hand on Oliver’s shoulder, but he shrugged it off.

“What the hell are you talking about, Felicity?” Oliver demanded.

“I came to Verdant. Two days after the explosion. After Lucas told me he was responsible for the explosion that killed, Thea. I came to you, to tell you, to confess everything. That Thea was dead because of me. Because I refused to help him. And I heard you, Oliver. I heard you. A means to an end, wasn’t I? It was time to put your “resource” to work; to track down that virus….I was nothing but another weapon in your arsenal. I was nobody to you. Nobody.”

Silence fell, the starkness accented by the increasing thunder and lightning that split the sky. Felicity stared at him with tortured eyes, shimmering with tears. She looked so small, so fragile.

“I was nobody to you, Oliver,” she repeated. “And I was the nobody responsible for the death of your sister, my friend, because I failed to tell you about Lucas.”

And so she ran, thought Oliver. She ran from him into danger, she hunted the hunter, alone with no one to protect her. It was a miracle that she was alive, that she had managed to stay out of Lucas’ clutches. She ran from him, he thought, she ran from him because she thought she was nothing to him. Oliver felt physically ill. He cursed himself for not listening to Digg from the beginning. He cursed himself for not being honest with Felicity about Lucas when he had the chance, and he cursed Lucas Hunt for being the cataclysmic trigger on all that was just plain shit in his life.

“Felicity...” he began, but was interrupted by a beeping coming from Felicity’s pocket. She whipped out her phone, reading the screen.

“No, no, no, no...too soon, way too soon. Dammit!” she said, quickly typing something. “We have to go. We have to go now. My tablet, I need my tablet.” She ran back to the room. John was already moving grabbing his jacket, checking his weapon. Oliver threw on his jacked, grabbing his own cell from the counter. Neither of the men questioned Felicity’s urgency. If she said they had to go, they had to go. Another clap of thunder crashed and the power in the building flickered then went out.

“Storm knocked out the power,” John said.

“No, I can just make out lights in the building across the street,” Oliver replied. “This isn’t the storm.”

“It’s Lucas. I was just able to access the security cameras when he cut the power. He’s here.” Felicity said as she shoved her tablet back into the black messenger bag crisscrossed on her body. As she spoke, John’s phone rang.  "That will be Lyla..."

“Lyla, I can’t – ” John stopped, listening to whatever it was that Lyla was saying. “Confirmed. Send back-up to the alternate location. And Lyla? Hurry.” Hanging up, he slipped his phone into his inside pocket. He moved into the entryway behind Oliver.

“Lyla said she received message that Lucas was in the building and wanted confirmation to send back up.”

 “I sent her the message. I hacked into her phone using a drop on yours.” Felicity said. John looked back at her, impressed at the new level of skill Felicity was demonstrating.

“Ooookay….well, they are sending back up. 10 minutes out. We need to get downstairs.”

“We are on the top floor of a high rise,” Felicity pointed out. “Exactly how do you propose we get to the main level with no power? I can’t hack into the system to get us an elevator.”

“Always have an….”

“Exit strategy,” Felicity finished.

Oliver stood at the door, listening intently. Turning back to them, he placed a finger over his lips. Motioning to John, he held up four fingers. He pointed with two fingers in the direction of the other executive suite. He held up another two fingers, and motioned to the door leading out. Diggle nodded. He pulled Felicity back into the living area and motioned her to get behind the breakfast bar. Felicity sank behind the bar, trying to quiet her breathing. She heard the quiet click of the lock on the door being disengaged. Seconds later, she heard grunting and the sound of a fist meeting flesh. There was a shout and she could hear running footsteps coming from the other suite. She heard the crash of breaking glass and knew that a body had just been thrown into coffee table.   She just didn’t know who and it was killing her. But she knew better than to try and see what was going on. No distraction, she reminded herself, let them do their thing. More grunts, the sound of more breaking glass and then nothing, just the sound of heavy breathing. She froze, waiting to hear Oliver or John call to her. She nearly shrieked when Oliver suddenly appeared.

“Jesus Christ, Oliver, could you have at least said something?” Felicity scrambled to her feet, ignoring the hand Oliver held out. There was a small cut at the corner of his mouth and scrape on his cheek. Otherwise, he appeared fine.

“Sorry, never did get that bell,” he panted. “Diggle is out in the hall. Let’s go.” Felicity followed him out, stepping over unconscious bodies, zip-tied to each other. She saw two guns tucked into the back of Oliver’s jeans. One was in his hand, another he held out to her. She looked at the gun and then at Oliver.

“Please. Do you honestly think that even I would change so much to use a gun?”

Oliver sighed, walking out into the hall and handed the extra gun to Diggle who had secured the remaining suites. Felicity stepped out into the hall and then paused when she heard what sounded like a phone vibrating. She whipped around, heading back into the living room, sensing Oliver behind her.

“Felicity, wha—”

Felicity shushed him, holding up a hand. _There!_ Felicity leaned over one of the men in the middle and started patting him down. She felt the buzz and pulled out a sleek, black phone. She breathed at the beauty of the state of the art device and had a quick moment of tech envy. Rummaging in her bag, Felicity pulled out four different phones. Oliver raised his eyebrows as she began holding them up to the one she had taken from Lucas’ man. Satisfied at finding a similar device, she tucked the fake phone into the man’s pants, powering off the real phone. She pulled out another case, and slid the phone inside it before tucking it into her bag. She looked up to find Oliver staring at her.

“The case blocks attempts to track the phones wherabouts. No battery to pull out of these phones so even if the phone is off, depending on what type of tech is inside, it may still be traceable. This case prevents Lucas from being able to track his man’s phone until I can disable it. Once it is secured, there may be information on it we can use. Hopefully, it will take some time before that guy realizes he has a dummy phone.”

Oliver said nothing, just continued to stare at her.

“What?” she asked, feeling flustered at the look of admiration in his eyes. He shook his head.

“Nothing. You’re just…” _Incredible_ , he thought, “Nothing. Come on, we have to get out of here.” He walked out into the lobby just as the power flared back on. Felicity turned to the elevators and saw that they were on the main level. As she watched, both elevators began to climb floors.

“Time to go,” said Digg, entering the stairwell. Felicity followed him, with Oliver close behind. She expected John to head down and was surprised when he went up to the door marked roof access.

“Oh, no,” Felicity said, already shaking her head. She backed up, right into Oliver’s chest. The shock of feeling his body against hers had her jumping away. He nudged her up the stairs right out onto the roof. Rain whipped against her body, plastering her hair to head in seconds.

“What the hell, Oliver and John? Why can’t you two have normal alternative exit strategies?” she yelled above the wind. John gave her a wicked smile before heading to the east side of the building. Oliver closed the door, and jimmied the handle with a 2x4 that he must have stashed here earlier. He grabbed her hand, pulling her across the roof.

Diggle stood on the ledge, a safety harness attached to a zip line. He turned to Felicity and gave her another grin.

“You know you missed us!” he said before pushing off and disappearing into the rain and fog. Felicity found herself being buckled into a safety harness. She began to panic, slapping at Oliver’s hands. He grabbed her hands. She heard banging coming from the rooftop door. Looking over at her only sensible exit, she saw the door shuddering under the heavy blows coming from the inside.

“Look at me, Felicity, look at me!” She blinked at the sound of Oliver’s urgent voice.  Her eyes wide with panic. She hated heights. Loathed them.

“We go together, alright? I’m going to attach your harness to mine. I have you, Felicity. I have you.”

Felicity turned to look at the zip-line, lightening flashing across the sky. She could not see where it ended. She swallowed hard and looked back at the door. She watched as the door gave way and crashed open. Men dressed in black poured out, and spread wide across the rooftop. Oliver gripped her chin, forcing her to look back at him. His eyes were hard, the violence barely leashed as he pulled her closer, hooking her harness to his. He gripped the line, putting one foot on the ledge. He held his hand out to her.

“I am not going to let anything happen to you, Felicity. Trust me, Felicity. I have you.”

Felicity heard Lucas’ men shout the moment they were spotted. She knew they wouldn’t fire their weapons, Lucas needed her alive. But he didn’t need Oliver and it was that very thought that decided her. Taking Oliver’s hand, she stepped up onto the ledge and went immediately into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt Oliver’s muscles tense and then relax. Holding her tightly around the waist, bringing her flush against him, he pushed them off the ledge and down the zip line. Felicity buried her face in his neck and bit back the urge to scream. As they flew through the sky, Felicity realized that in the last ten minutes she, Diggle, and Oliver had slipped into their old routine as if they had never been apart. And part of that routine was Felicity knowing that she was always safe with Oliver.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity learns about Oliver's "other" life and meets John Diggle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a super hard chapter for me to write. I've been sitting on it for days. There was so much ground I wanted to cover but I also didn't want to drone on and on. I wanted to do justice to the beginning of one of my favorite relationships on television, but in my way. It's long, guys, really long and for that, I apologize. I hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Disclaimers: As I've said before, I've never read the comics (except for 2.5 and the New 52 that had Diggle and Felicity in the story) so don't expect adherence to canon. I also have zero medical training or experience. So please suspend reality with me! LOL
> 
> Update: Just did some minor editing since originally posting. Nothing substantive, just filled in a missing preposition here and there and corrected character names.

_Seven Years Earlier_

Felicity cursed under her breath as she dug into her bag for her car keys. It was almost 10 p.m. and thanks to the paranoia whim of one Robert Queen, Felicity just spent another Friday night at work. Another Friday wrapped up in computer code, take-out Moroccan for dinner, and one too many non-fat lattes with extra sugar. For nothing. Told to contact him immediately after she was done, he never answered his phone. Finally finding her keys at the bottom of her bag, she pulled them out and looked up at her car and froze. There was an unmistakably very large male leaning against her car. She peered into the shadows, now cursing her boss for being too cheap to improve the lighting in the parking garage. The figure suddenly moved, looking up at her. Oliver’s face was briefly illuminated before falling back into shadow. Breathing a sigh of relief, she started moving forward again giving him the briefest of looks as she unlocked her car. She was too hopped up on caffeine and too short on patience for another one of Oliver’s “jobs.” She hadn’t seen him since that night at the club. Not a text, phone call or midnight visit. Nearly three months had gone by and not a peep. During those three months, as she wondered where he was, what he was doing, and if he was thinking about her, she realized she was spending way too much time thinking about a guy whose number she didn’t even have. She wasn’t feeling very generous tonight.

"Whatever you have for me, Oliver, it’s going to have to wait….until Monday…This girl is closed for business.” Felicity opened the driver side door and tossed her messenger bag into the passenger seat. Turning, she saw that Oliver hadn’t moved.

“I’m not kidding, Oliver. I’ve had it up to here being passed back and forth between you and your father which, with the way I’m feeling tonight, is the height of hilarity considering he’s paying me to keep out hackers while you pay me nothing to be a hacker. A hacker…you’ve made me a hacker, Oliver Queen, something I swore I would never…”

Felicity’s voice trailed off as she realized that Oliver hadn’t made a sound and other than the brief lift of his head, hadn’t moved. In fact, he was leaning heavily on her car, one hand pressed to his side. He was dressed in all black. Head to toe black, including a delicious looking leather jacket that did all sorts of things to him, to include emphasizing that dangerous edge that simmered beneath the surface and always had her tummy spiraling. Felicity stared at the hand Oliver pressed to his side, fixated by the blood staining his fingers.

“Oliver, you’re bleeding,” Felicity said, still staring at his hand. His grunt of pain had her eyes snapping up to his. Shaking her head at her own distraction, she took off the long scarf she had around her neck. She folded it over, creating a compress and stepped into his space. She unzipped his jacket, and moving his hand back a bit, she shoved her scarf between his shirt and jacket, slamming his hand back in place. He groaned at the impact.

“I don’t need to be told that, Felicity.”

Oliver’s voice was low, barely audible but Felicity certainly heard the amusement in his tone. She gave him a withering look as she began unbuckling her belt, slipping it around his waist; she barely managed to get the ends to meet which was fine with her as she pulled it tight, once again removing his hand in the process. He hissed, and she knew that she pulled tight enough for the right amount of pressure. He looked down at her make shift bandage and smiled.

“Should have known you were a Girl Scout, or Brownie, or whatever it’s called.”

“All of the above and no, that’s courtesy of Grey’s Anatomy.”

He laughed, and then winced in pain. She pulled him up and put his arm around her shoulders.

“God, you’re heavy. Come one, let’s get you some help.” Felicity leaned him up against the other side of her car and opened the passenger side door. Keeping one hand on his chest so he wouldn’t fall over, she leaned over and pushed the front seat as far back as it would go. She tossed her messenger bag into the back seat and then turned to help him get in. He grimaced in pain as he bent over and she saw blood seeping through his jacket. Felicity started to feel the first stirrings of panic at the sight of more blood. Oliver grabbed her wrist in lightning fast movement, Felicity gasping at the strength in his grip.

“No hospital, Felicity. No hospital. Take me to Verdant.”

“Oliver, you’re bleeding. It looks like you’ve been shot. You need a hospital, not a bar. Although a drink right about now sounds fantastic.”

“Verdant, Felicity. Promise me. Help…” Oliver began slurring his words as darkness started to overtake him. “…at Verdant. Only person…Not Thea…..Basement….entrance….side….”

And he was out. Felicity jumped into her car and sped out of the garage. Two lights later, she had a choice to make; right to the hospital, left to Verdant. She didn’t move, tapping her forefinger on the steering wheel. She looked at Oliver and swearing under her breath at the inexplicable trust she had in him, she pressed her foot to the floor and took off for Verdant. She damn well better get a shot of something out of this mess.

 ----------------------------------

John Diggle set the last trace on the phone Oliver lifted from one of Lucas Hunt’s men, knowing it was pointless. He could do a lot of things but hacking was not one of them. Oliver had been avoiding Felicity for months now, claiming that what they needed wasn’t anything they could handle. In the meantime, the cell phones, thumb drives, external hard drives, tablets, and any other piece of tech they were lucky enough to get their hands on, piled up in a crate on the floor by the computers. It was a conversation that Diggle attempted to have and that Oliver shut down by walking away. Three months with no forward movement in their search for Lucas Hunt. They needed Felicity. Diggle sat before one of the monitors and switched on the news. He and Oliver would have that talk tonight, and there would be no escape for Oliver.

“….in late breaking news, an intruder bypassed the physical security at Queen Consolidated this evening, and attempted to burglarize the office of the CEO, Robert Queen. Mr. Queen was working late hours and was present when a masked intruder entered his office. Shots were fired, but Mr. Queen is unharmed. Starling City police are on the hunt for a male individual that may be suffering from a gunshot wound…”

Diggle cursed just as he heard a noise behind him. He spun, two guns aimed at the small, dark haired girl standing before him. His eyes widened in surprise. It was Felicity, Oliver’s IT contact. She blinked twice at the guns pointed in her direction before meeting his eyes.

“Can you help me? He’s too heavy for me to move alone.” Felicity pointed to the hidden entrance of The Foundry. It was then Diggle saw that there was blood on the dark purple of her shirt and her hands.   Diggle rose and followed her out into the alley. In other circumstances, seeing Oliver folded into the mini Cooper would have been incredibly funny, but right now, Diggle was focused on the blood seeping from Oliver’s left side.

“Damn,” Diggle swore, before grabbing him under his right arm and hauling him from the car, Diggle half-carried, half-dragged Oliver back into The Foundry, laying him on a metal table with wheels. A gurney, Felicity half-registered in surprise, they have a gurney. She moved to one side of Oliver, looking up at Diggle just in time to catch a pair of latex gloves being tossed at her.

“Wha….” Felicity sputtered, catching the gloves before they fell to the floor.

“I’m going to need help and based on this nice piece of first aid, I’m thinking you’ll do. Looks like you have some training.”

“I’m caught up on Grey’s Anatomy and watched General Hospital religiously. Does that count?”

Diggle gave a short laugh as he cut off Oliver’s jacked and shirt, tossing them on top of Felicity’s belt in a bin that Diggle had pulled out from under the gurney.   Felicity blanched at the sight of what looked like an incredibly serious wound on Oliver’s left side.

“I hope you’re a doctor, ‘cause that looks really bad. I mean, really bad. You’re some sort of doctor, right?”

“Gunshot wounds tend to be bad, and no. Not a doctor but I have combat medic training. Here, hold this.” Diggle put Felicity’s hands on the wound he had packed with gauze.

“You’re going to operate on him? Here?” she squeaked, pressing down on the gauze. “We really should take him to a hospital.”

“No! Hospitals have to report gunshot wounds which would result in a lot of questions.”

“And Oliver isn’t a fan of questions. Or rather, answering questions. He’s super good at asking them, though," Felicity said, wryly. Diggle gave another short laugh.

“Yeah, that’s Oliver; quick to take information but slow to give it.”

Diggle moved three carts on wheels closer to the table. Felicity was fascinated by the array of medical equipment kept in The Foundry. One cart held a defibrillator and another had an array of surgical instruments at the ready. There was also a heart monitor. Felicity watched in astonishment as Diggle opened the drawer to another cart to reveal a refrigerated cache of blood.

“Is that....”

“Blood? Yup. His blood to be exact. He started storing it up for a rainy day, and I’d say right now, it’s pouring.” Diggle removed her hands and motioned her to his side of the table.

“I’m going to need your help, okay? It’s a flesh wound, but the bullet is still inside. I can handle this, but can you? If not, I need you to leave now. Oliver trusted you enough to guide you here and that means I have to trust you enough not to tell anyone what you’ve seen here tonight.”

Felicity swallowed hard at Diggle’s hard tone. Looking around The Foundry, she took in what looked like an arsenal of weapons, including a bow and arrow, and a large work table that held computers arranged in such a way as to hurt her soul. She could leave. Pretend she never saw any of this and that Oliver had never bled all over the passenger seat of her car. Of course the blood stains would make it difficult to forget but still…. _focus, Felicity, focus_ , she chided herself.

“I can handle this. With the quality of tech Oliver was having me hack into, I knew that whatever he was involved in was both dangerous not to mention secretive. I helped him anyway. So yeah, I can handle it.” Felicity nearly gagged when she saw Diggle with an I.V. kit. “Yeah, I can handle it, but not that….no needles, okay? I can’t handle needles.”

Diggle shook his head in amusement while starting an I.V. in Oliver’s right arm. He then began swabbing the wound. Felicity took the used material he handed her and dumped them into the bin on top of Oliver’s clothes and her scarf. Diggle paused, gathered himself, and then looked at Felicity. Nerves and caffeine had her rambling more than usual.

“I’m Felicity. But you probably already know that since you work with Oliver. You’re the one person he trusts. Not that I know your name, just that he once mentioned there was one person he trusted with the items he had me working on. I’m guessing that’s you. I’d say it’s nice to meet you but it’s not with Oliver bleeding everywhere, not that it’s not nice to meet you, but you know…” Felicity snapped her mouth shut and just stared at the man beside her who was patiently waiting for her to calm down.

“John Diggle. It is nice to meet you, Felicity. Let’s get to work.”

\------------------------------------

A few hours later, Diggle tied off the last stitch and let out a heavy sigh. Leaning slightly on the gurney, he closed his eyes for a minute before turning to look at Felicity.

“You did well, Felicity. Thank you.”

“So did you, Mr. Diggle. Looks like you’ve done this before, like more than once.”

Diggle eyed Felicity speculatively. Observant, he thought. Cleaning up the wound one last time before covering it with a bandage, he nodded.

“I was in the Army. We all get some basic first aid training, but I took a few more training courses. Never wanted to be in a position where I was wishing for a medic. It’s come in handy.”

“As in “come in handy” when it comes to Oliver?” Felicity asked tearing off her blood spattered gloves. She threw them in the bin and then cleaned her hands with anti-bacterial gel that she found on the cart that held the blood. She looked at the cart suspiciously, wondering what else this particular cart held. She had her answer soon enough as Diggle took out a vial and syringe. She turned away.

“An antibiotic,” Diggle said, holding up the vial. “Want to avoid the possibility of any infection. Always a risk doing something like this in a non-sterile environment. But we do what we have to. No needle though. I’ll use the port in his I.V.” Felicity nodded but still looked away.

“I’m surprised you don’t have an X-ray machine down here. Seems like it would come in handy with whatever it is Oliver is involved in.”

Observant may be an understatement, Diggle mused, especially for someone who probably had a mental inventory of everything in The Foundry by that one thorough glance she gave the place earlier.  He wondered how much Oliver had told her and whether she knew about Lucas Hunt.  Oliver had refused to talk about Felicity, leaving Diggle in an uncomfortable situation of inadvertently revealing too much.  May as well just ask, he thought.

“What do you know about Oliver’s work?” he asked, sending the antibiotic through the I.V. He adjusted the I.V. stand, moving the heart monitor slightly back. Felicity was comforted by the steady beeping.

“Not much. We came to a silent agreement the second time he came to me for help. I don’t ask questions, although I still do and he still doesn’t answer, and he promised never to bring me anything that could hurt innocent people.”

“And you trusted him to do just that?”

“Oliver fed me the most ridiculous lies at first, but I saw something in him, something I can’t put my finger on, but it was good. And so I trusted him.”

Diggle nodded thoughtfully, realizing that Felicity had no idea that Oliver was on the hunt for a computer virus that could topple the world in the hands of someone like Lucas Hunt.  He also realized that she had no idea that every single bit of help she had given them was a test of some sorts and the tiniest of steps towards finding Lucas.

“Naïve, I know, but Oliver isn’t a bad man. At least, I don’t think so. Do you know who shot him?”

Diggle blinked at the abrupt change in topic. He debated on whether to answer or not, wondering if Oliver had told her about his father. He doubted it. But Oliver was out for the count, so Diggle made a choice. Checking the machines monitoring Oliver’s vitals one last time, Diggle sat in the chair by the computer station. Felicity’s fingers twitched, itching to fix the mess behind him.

“According to the news, his father.  Although, to be fair, I doubt Mr. Queen knew it was Oliver.”

It was Felicity’s turn to blink in surprise.

“Talk about family drama,” was all she said, dragging another laugh out of Diggle.

“I recognize you now, Mr. Diggle. You’re Oliver’s bodyguard, aren’t you? Or at least that’s what the public thinks.”

Diggle nodded. “Call me John. Or Diggle. Yeah, it started that way and then one day, I found myself down here. Oliver saved my life and then provided me an opportunity for justice.”

“Justice?” Felicity asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. “Sorry, I probably shouldn’t be asking questions.”

“That’s okay. My brother was murdered and the police never found who killed him. Turned out it was more complex then Andy taking a bullet meant for a client he was protecting and Oliver had a way for me to pursue it. And so I took it.”

Felicity cocked her head to the side, knowing that Mr. Diggle – Diggle – was leaving significant parts of the story out. That was okay, though. He didn’t know her.

“I’m sorry,” was all she said. She moved around Oliver’s gurney and peered into the weapons rack at dozens of different styles of guns at the ready. She didn’t recognize a single one. She hated guns. Shivering, she moved away to study the bow and arrow. _Why a bow and arrow_ , she wondered silently.  The better question would be why did Oliver and Diggle have what essentially was an armory and something like mission control.

“Oliver is operating outside the law, isn’t he?” she asked.

“It’s more complicated than that, Felicity.”

“Then explain it to me. We have nothing but time.” Felicity waved a hand over at Oliver who was likely to remain unconscious for a few hours.

For a minute there, Felicity didn’t think she was going to get an answer from the way Diggle stared at her. She was fascinated by Diggle, whose expression gave nothing away. But like Oliver, she could almost _see_ the honor in him by the way he carried himself. Yet, there was an air of confidence around him that was missing from Oliver. Oh, it wasn’t that Oliver wasn’t confident, he was….in spades….but there was a part of him that wasn’t quite sure where he fit in this world. Diggle seemed self-aware, comfortable with his life, how he was leading it and where he was going. She wondered at this man who worked with Oliver on things better left unsaid.

“What do you know about A.R.G.U.S.?” Diggle suddenly asked.

“It’s a U.S. Government agency that runs covert operations and occasionally funds smaller, private groups in less than above-board ‘missions’ that the U.S. wants plausible deniability for, such as that thing in Russia last year.”

At Diggle’s surprised look, Felicity shrugged. “Oliver may not answer my questions, but I’m very good at research. The stuff Oliver brought to me? I picked up a few things.”

Diggle gave a little laugh. He smiled as Felicity finally gave into her urge and began fixing Oliver’s computer set up. He had watched her fingers twitch every time her gaze strayed to the monitors and knew she had been itching to get at the system. He slid his chair slightly to give her more room.   She looked at the items in the crate on the floor by the table and then back at Diggle.

“I haven’t seen Oliver for nearly three months. He’s been avoiding me, hasn’t he?” Diggle hesitated slightly before nodding. Felicity sighed and turned back to the computer system. She began disconnecting wires, moving monitors and CPUs, and then taking apart the server.

“Do you and Oliver work for A.R.G.U.S.?” she asked as she examined the server set up.

“You could say that. We are one of those private groups that A.R.G.U.S. funds to do some of those less than above-board missions.” Felicity gave him a look at his quoting her before turning back to the computers.

“Sometimes missions like those result in innocent people being killed,” Felicity said quietly, not really expecting Diggle to respond.

“Sometimes missions like those save innocent lives.”  Felicity looked up at Diggle for a moment before nodding and turning back to the server.

“Does it bother you,” she asked, “that sometimes there are innocent lives at risk? Don’t take this the wrong way, but you look like a person who would find the loss of innocent lives an unacceptable risk.”

“There would be more innocent lives lost, Felicity, if we didn’t do what it is we do. Refusing a mission because innocents may suffer isn’t an option when leaving whatever evil it is in place guarantees innocents suffer.”

Felicity cocked her head at him in thought. There was a kernel of truth in Diggle’s statement, but it still rankled that the loss of any innocent life was acceptable. There had to be another way to accomplish the task without those risks. She refocused on the computers, thinking about what Diggle had said.

 Wondering what was going through that incredible mind of hers, Diggle stood up and went over to Oliver, checking his vitals. They were quiet for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts as they worked. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, though. There was a feeling of unity, of two people uniting behind a common goal.

“Oliver’s killed a lot of people, hasn’t he?” Felicity suddenly asked.

“He’s saved a lot of people, too.”

“You defend him.”

“Oliver carries around a number of ghosts and not all are of his own making. I joined Oliver not only to find my brother’s killer, but to keep Oliver from losing himself completely to A.R.G.U.S. and their mantra of mission above everything.”

“How did Oliver become involved with A.R.G.U.S.?”

“That’s his story to tell, Felicity, not mine. But I will tell you that Oliver was at the edge of sanity when he saved my life. He was hanging on to reality by a thread. I’ve been on that edge. I know what it takes to pull back, to come back to yourself and not be haunted by the ghosts of your past. I’ve been slowly pulling Oliver back from his edge. And whether you realize it or not, Felicity, you have done the same.”

“Me? What have I done? I didn’t even know about this,” Felicity protested, indicating The Foundry with the sweep of her arm.

“Since coming to you all those months ago, Felicity, I’ve seen a change in Oliver. I didn’t know it was you, his IT contact. But now meeting you, I see the connection. You have a light inside you that shines so brightly, that I can feel the warmth on my own battered soul. It soothes the soldier in me. I can only imagine how it soothes Oliver.”

Felicity stared at Diggle for a long moment, feeling shy and not a little bit pleased at Diggle’s high praise. She had a feeling that his regard was difficult to earn and that she may already have done so had her feeling a glow of pride. Ducking her head, she turned back to the computers, where she felt more comfortable. Felicity fell into the rhythm of working quietly alongside Diggle as they waited for Oliver to wake up. They took turns checking his vitals after Diggle explained to Felicity what she should look for.   It was nearly five in the morning, when Felicity turned from the computers to find Diggle watching her and the phone she was hooking up to one of the computers.

“I was trying to trace it,” he offered, having seen her perplexed stare at the phone and the code he attempted to run. She gifted him with a small smile.

“It is amazing tech, nothing currently available on the market,” Felicity began, “but I’m pretty sure it’s been wiped remotely. Just in case, I’ll run a scan but if this is what I think it is, it was wiped the moment the owner realized it was missing which is good, because it has a built in tracking device.”

At Diggle’s alarmed look, she quickly reassured him.

“Nothing to worry about, it was never activated. I reversed the track….” Felicity stopped explaining. “It was never activated.”

Diggle nodded, trusting Felicity. He was about to thank her, when they heard Oliver cough. They both rushed over to the gurney as Oliver’s eyes fluttered open.

“Ow,” he said, causing Felicity and Diggle to laugh. He tried to sit up, but Diggle pressed him back down.

“Easy there, Oliver. You were damn lucky. The shot was a flesh wound and didn’t enter the abdominal cavity. Even so, it tore through some muscle. You are going to be down for days, if not weeks.”

“Can’t be down for weeks,” Oliver gritted out. “How will I explain that to my family? Not to mention the media? Besides, there’s a mess at QC…”

“I took care of that,” Felicity piped up. “I leaked to the tabloids that you were seen boarding a private jet to an unknown tropical island with one of the ballerinas from the recently departed production of Cinderella. Typical Oliver Queen,” Felicity shook her head in a mock disapproval, earning another look of admiration from Diggle. She shrugged, turning her attention back to Oliver.

Oliver didn’t look at Felicity. He couldn’t. Not yet. He didn’t want to see the look of condemnation on her face or the disgust in her eyes now that he was sure she knew what he was. He closed his eyes as if in pain. Which he was, but it was more to avoid her gaze than anything else.

“The mess at QC….” he said, as he tried to sit up again. Diggle pressed down harder. That’s when Oliver felt Felicity touch him. Her small hand landed gently on his upper arm and then trailed down, fingertips lightly brushing his skin until she fitted her hand into his while her left hand came to rest on his shoulder. Felicity. Touching him. With no hesitation. She squeezed his hand and then waited. He opened his eyes, and reluctantly met her gaze. There was no disgust. No judgement. Just Felicity, looking at him as she always had, eyes shining, so bright that he felt his heart clenching. The heart rate monitor picked up his change in pulse, but was just as quickly silenced. He saw from the corner of his eye that Diggle had silenced the machine. A small smile lifted the corners of Felicity’s mouth.

“I took care of that, too,” she said softly, the hand on his shoulder starting to gently move in circles, soothing him.

Swallowing hard at how much he needed that contact with her, he managed to ask, “How?”

Oliver was amazed, and not a little bit charmed, at the blush and sudden sheepish expression that came over Felicity’s face.

“Well. I, um, sort of hacked the Starling City police department and ordered the blood samples found at QC to be destroyed….ooops.”

There was a silence for a moment before both Diggle and Oliver laughed. Oliver’s laughter quickly turned into a grown of pain. He squeezed her hand in thanks.

“How did you do that with the system I have here?”

“Oh, I fixed that too. Really Oliver, that was pitiful.”

Turning his head, Oliver saw the computer station completely redesigned and apparently running more efficiently if the code he saw running across one of the screens was any indication. He looked at Diggle and raised an eyebrow. Diggle nodded briefly and Oliver turned back to Felicity. He studied her for a moment. He needed her. And it wasn’t just for her skills as a cyber-security specialist, although that was why he originally sought her out. He needed _her_ , Felicity the person and everything that made her _Felicity_. He’d lied to her from the very beginning and she saw right through him. He continued to lie to her and she still helped him. What did she see when she looked at him? What did she see that everyone else seemed to miss? He couldn’t tell her about Lucas Hunt. Not yet. He couldn’t tell her that their meeting was no accident, that everything he had brought her had been a test of her skill while at the same time provided clues to Lucas.   She would doubt him and doubt whatever it was that was brewing between them. He hadn’t expected Felicity when he walked into her office. But now that he had her, he couldn’t lose her.

“Does this mean you’re in?” he asked, almost afraid at her response. He wasn’t quite sure how he would react if she responded in the negative. He didn’t think she would take too kindly to being locked in The Foundry.

“Do you mean in on this little “mercenaries for hire” business venture you have going on here?”

"It's not exactly like that..." Felicity gave him a look and Oliver fell silent.  Felicity bit her lip and looked between him and Diggle. She swore she would never be on the wrong side of the law. But the law wasn’t always the right side and there were a lot of bad people out there doing bad things with no one stopping them. Whatever else they may be, Oliver and Diggle were good men doing something that was bigger than her, bigger than all of them. She slowly nodded.

“I’m in, but only for those jobs – do you call it jobs? Or is it missions? Wait, do I get black leather, too? ‘Cause I’d look smashing in black leather. Not as good as Oliver but….” Oliver smiled as Diggle laughed. Felicity closed her eyes and counted backwards from three.

“I’m in, Oliver, but I’m out the moment innocent lives are put at risk for no other reason than to get the job done. There is always another way, and if you aren’t willing to take that into consideration, tell me now and I walk away. From _all_ of it. For good.”

She was, Oliver thought, the most amazing woman he had ever met. Her faith and belief in what she saw as good in him lifted him in a way nothing else ever had. He found himself wanting to prove himself to her. He nodded in agreement and then smiled.

“Welcome to the team, Felicity.”

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity discovers how Lucas tracked them to QC and more secrets from the past are revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I pushed for a lot in this chapter so I apologize for the length. I hope you all enjoy it and thank you, as always for the feedback!
> 
> EDIT: After posting, I received a few comments that immediately jumped to the conclusion that Oliver cheated on Felicity with Laurel. I would let it ride, but was concerned that others that had not read this story would not give it a chance if that perception was spread. No cheating. I'm not a fan of that type of storyline which is why I had trouble connecting with the Oliver/Laurel romance in the show. 
> 
> Keep reading (please) and give the flashback storyline a chance. This is my first fanfic and I'm going to make rookie mistakes. I'll learn from those mistakes and improve the next story I choose to tell should I write another after this one is complete.
> 
> Thank you to all for giving this fic a chance!

From the outside, the A.R.G.U.S. safe house was a non-descript two story townhome with a garage. The inside was a completely different matter. The interior had been remodeled to provide a tactical advantage to those inside as well as prevent intruders from attempting a quiet assault. Thick bullet proof glass covered the windows which were equipped with remote as well as manual interior steel shutters. An eagle’s eye view of the only entrance via the front guaranteed that any intruder would lose his head should a frontal assault be attempted. The house appeared to have no other entrance or exit other than the front door and the garage entrance, both of which faced the front of the street. However, in the garage, there was access to an underground tunnel through the garage that led approximately 50 yards past the property line.

“Less than a mile further, bikes are on standby to continue to escape on wheels,” Lyla was explaining as she led Felicity to one of the bedrooms on the second level. “It may look like we’re trapped if the front is blocked, but we always make sure to have an…”

“Exit strategy,” Felicity finished, smiling weakly. Lyla gave a faint smile, nodding. She pointed to the duffel on the bed.

“I grabbed a few things that should fit you, if you don’t mind wearing my workout clothes. We have a washer and dryer just off the kitchen so we can get your clothes cleaned up in no time. Private bathroom is through that door,” Lyla said, pointing at a door that was partially open to reveal a small bath. Felicity nodded and stood shivering, her arms wrapped around her middle. Lyla’s expression softened a bit. After listening to Johnny’s story last night, she understood Felicity’s importance to him. So that made her important to Lyla.

“Dry off and warm up, Felicity, and then we’ll talk about our next move. We’re safe here. For at least a few hours.”

Felicity nodded again and Lyla quietly left the room. With shaking hands, Felicity began unbuttoning her cardigan and dragged her wet t-shirt over her head.  Her fingers were stiff from the cold and it took several tries to get her pants unsnapped. The wet denim clung to her legs, but she finally freed herself. Stripping off her remaining clothes, Felicity started the shower and was instantly rewarded with hot water. Stepping under the spray, she let the warmth of the water soothe her and chase the chill away. She couldn’t remember a time when she had been so cold. Despite the heat from Oliver’s body, her teeth chattered with uncontrollable shivers as she and Oliver zipped towards the ground. Oliver had held her tight, and she knew he had spoken to her from the rumbling in his chest. She couldn’t hear him above the sound of wind and rain, but it hadn’t matter. It was Oliver and she knew that he would never let her fall. By the time they reached the bottom, she was drenched from head to toe. Thankfully, Lyla was waiting at the bottom with a heated vehicle and warm blankets. In less than hour, due to Lyla’s race car driving skills, they were at the safe house just outside of Central City.

Slowly, Felicity relaxed, letting the steam soothe her senses. She closed her mind to thought and just focused on the sound of the shower and the feel of the hot water hitting her shoulder blades. Her mind deliciously blank, she began washing up. She was leisurely conditioning her hair, not focusing on anything beyond the mundane task when a niggle of worry wormed its way into her forced serenity. She tried to push it back, but it was relentless. Sighing, she let the worry slowly rise to the surface and then froze. Every single one of her security alerts failed except for the one she placed on QC’s branch office main frame and security system. Felicity’s mind jumpstarted back to life, mentally reviewing her security set up and realizing that it wasn’t her safeguards that failed. She checked and double checked her security last night but she had never Oliver and Diggle’s.

“Shit,” she said, frantically rinsing the conditioner she had found under the sink out of her hair. “Shit, shit, shit.” Felicity jumped out of the shower, and quickly toweled off. Wrapping her hair into a towel, she began frantically pulling on the clothes Lyla had found for her. Black yoga pants, a bright, long sleeve, blue shirt, and a sports bra. Felicity skipped the socks, and pulled her hair back into a bun as she raced barefoot out of the room.

“Phones…I need your phones….Oliver, Diggle, give me your phones and any other devices you’ve been using over the last few days.”

The others looked at her in puzzlement as she raced down the stairs, frantically giving orders.

“Phones! Now!” she again ordered and Oliver and Diggle quickly complied. Felicity sat on the floor at the coffee table, across from where Oliver and Diggle had been sitting on the sofa. Lyla came over and leaned against the arm of the sofa, next to Diggle. Felicity started with Diggle’s phone, examining the outside carefully .

“Any tablets, iPads, iPods or other electronic devices?” she asked, as she leaned back and stretched her arm out to reach her bag she had set on the floor. Rooting around inside, she withdrew a small black case. Unzipping it, the others saw an array of tools designed for detail work. Felicity grabbed her glasses, and began to take apart Diggle’s phone.

“No…what’s going on, Felicity?” Oliver asked, picking up on the sense of panic just beneath the surface. She appeared calm, focused as she worked on the phones, but he knew her; knew her mind was racing in a million directions much like the computers that responded to her magic alone.

“Lucas didn’t find us by tracking me. He’s good, but I’m better. It had to be one of you,” Felicity explained, her words coming slowly as she concentrated on Diggle’s phone. She lifted the back away, exposing the inside of the phone. A tiny city of microchips and processors stared up at her from the circuit board. She began slowly moving through the phone, peering at it through a magnifying glass she pulled from her kit.

“There is no way their phones are bugged, Felicity, no possible way,” Lyla stated. “Johnny’s phone is regularly checked by A.R.G.U.S. as well as by us in order to keep our home safe. Same with Oliver’s.”

Felicity was quiet for a moment. Pulling a tiny screwdriver from the kit, she removed the circuit board. She then pulled out her tablet and an external reader from her bag. Carefully, she placed the circuit board into the reader. Typing a few commands into her tablet, she began running a back trace on the circuit board. Felicity looked up at Lyla briefly, before sweeping through Diggle’s phone again.

“Lucas didn’t find us through me,” she repeated. “I have several layers of security that alert me to when he is close. I’m talking several, from high-tech to low-tech security.   Last night, before going to bed, I threw in an extra measure of security by tapping into the QC’s branch office main frame…” Felicity glanced up at Oliver. “By the way, your IT department is lazy. They haven’t changed the general administrator’s account password since I set it nearly six years ago. Idiots.” Shaking her head, she turned back to Diggle’s phone. “The only alert I received was when Lucas hacked into the QC mainframe.”  

“Maybe your security alerts failed,” Lyla said.

“Fat chance,” Felicity snorted, “Besides, I checked. I’m good. Haven’t had a chance to check the low-tech but with no word from anyone, I’m 99.9% sure I’m good there too.” Felicity set Diggle’s phone to the side and began examining Oliver’s phone, calculating how long they had been at the safe house.

“We’ve been here, what, forty-five minutes? An hour? Have either of you used your phones since we arrived?” she asked.

“An hour at most and no,” responded Oliver. Both Diggle and Lyla nodded in agreement.

“House is secure, Felicity. No way Lucas could track a phone signal into this house,” Diggle tried to make his voice reassuring, although he knew that when it came to Lucas, nothing was impossible.

“Perhaps not right away, but whatever is jamming the signal can eventually be worked around. I could do it in less than ten minutes.”

Lyla arched an eyebrow, “Really? Is that how long it took you to hack Johnny’s phone to get my number?”

“No,” Felicity said, pausing as she removed the back of Oliver’s phone and began peering inside with the magnifying glass.

“That took less than two minutes. But to be fair, I already knew John’s phone number so I shaved off a minute or two.”

Lyla looked down at Diggle. _I want her at A.R.G.U.S.,_ her expression said. _No way in hell_ , he answered. _We’ll see about that_ , she responded. _No way in hell_ , he repeated. Grinning at each other and the challenge between them, they returned their attention back to Felicity.  She had just removed the main circuit board and suddenly paused, peering intently at whatever lay beneath. Felicity glanced up at Oliver.

“When was the last time your phone was out of your possession?” she asked. He leaned forward from the sofa, trying to see inside his phone. He furrowed his brow as he thought about the question.

“Last week, I think? Applied Sciences had some software updates so I swung by. My mother somehow found out I was in the building and had her assistant come get me…..she still doesn’t know...….thinks the explosion was a faulty city line…..” Oliver trailed off as the root of suspicion began to take hold. Blue eyes brimming with a swirling mix of guilt, anger and sympathy met his own.

“She’s not involved, Felicity.” Oliver refused to believe his mother had any role in what happened five years ago. His mother had never recovered from losing Thea and was a shell of her former self. His father, on the other hand, was a different story. Oliver had no idea what his father knew, or how deep Robert was involved. Part of Oliver was horrified that Robert may have known that Thea’s life was in danger and had done nothing about it. Another part of Oliver, the part that emerged after Thea’s death, wouldn’t put it past Robert Queen.

Felicity held his gaze a moment longer before she turned back to his phone.  She took a pair of tiny tweezers from her kit and removed a small black disc-shaped piece of plastic. Taking a close look at it, she debated whether to keep it with the cell she confiscated so she could examine it more closely later, or destroy it. Deciding on the latter, she took the glass of water that sat in front of Oliver and dropped the piece of plastic inside. She held the glass out to Oliver for his inspection. Taking it, he peered up at the object through the bottom of the glass.

“My phone was bugged,” Oliver said, dumbfounded.

“Your phone was bugged,” Felicity agreed, “With an old-fashioned bug. It has to be something out of the 80s, and not the good part of the 80s.  Like Madonna, and leg warmers.” 

“How is it possible that none of our scanners caught that bug?” Lyla asked, reaching across Diggle to take the glass from Oliver.

Felicity shrugged. Now that she knew how Lucas had found them, she was more relaxed. She took out her phone and checked her security alerts and found everything working. Sending a quick text message to one of her low-tech alerts, she was given the all clear on from his end. She nodded in satisfaction and turned to the task of putting John’s phone back together. Looking up, she saw Lyla was still waiting for an answer.

“It’s old technology. Your equipment is designed for more sophisticated equipment. The signal it emits is weak when the phone is not in use. So weak that it probably confused your scanners into thinking that the signal was part of the normal phone function.  I don't think the jamming signal to the house was breached to track us, but I'll double check.”

“Why bug Oliver? How would Lucas know that he would find you?” This from Diggle, who was methodically spinning pieces of this puzzle in his mind, and finding that he was missing several pieces; pieces that Felicity had in her possession.

Felicity finished putting John’s phone together, powering it on to ensure everything was functioning before handing it back to him. She busied her hands with putting away her tools. The last of her secrets, the source of her guilt, about to be revealed and unexpectedly, it wasn’t fear of Oliver and Diggle’s reaction that she felt, nor was it the guilt she had lived with for the last five years. It was relief. Relief at the chance to come clean, to be honest and face the anger and recriminations she knew she deserved.

“I suspect that he’s been bugging you off and on for years, hoping you would find me. Whenever your bug went live anywhere outside Starling City, he probably had someone on the ground surveil you. Last night, your bug must have gone live and someone, I suspect it was outside Ray’s, saw us.”

“Yes, but why me, how did he connect us?” Oliver asked.

This was it. Bracing for whatever happened next, Felicity cleared her throat.

“Because when Lucas came to Starling City, he knew I was working with you. He knew all about your set up in the basement of Verdant, all of it. And I didn’t tell you.”

Waiting for the verbal onslaught that was sure to come, she remained still, not moving an inch. But it never came. Oliver sat there, just staring at her. He looked at Diggle, who was poised at the edge of his seat, equally focused on Oliver. He looked back at Felicity and then abruptly stood up. She jumped to her feet as well, but he was already gone from the room, a door slamming from upstairs the only indication of what he was feeling.

 

\---------------------------------------

 

Oliver stood in one of the upstairs bedrooms, staring at the neighborhood outside. The rain had finally stopped but heavy clouds in the sky promised more to come. Sunlight struggled to penetrate the thick coverage, giving the sky an eerie orange glow. Ever vigilant, Oliver scanned the streets, observing, cataloguing, and then sweeping again. He processed everything he saw while echoes of the past pummeled his mind. Images of the explosion, his screaming for Thea, Felicity holding him back to prevent him from running into the building, flashed in his mind like a silent movie.  Through it all, agony wracked his body.

The days following Thea’s death were a blur. He avoided his home while her funeral was planned; deleting the sobbing messages from his mother, the cursing ones from his father. The only messages he did not delete were from Felicity. The first, she merely said his name, in a voice filled with such remorse and guilt. He didn’t understand it at the time, but now he knew why. The second time, she merely said it was her, and nothing else before ending the call. It was the last message she left him and the last time he heard her voice until yesterday.

He had thought the explosion had been meant to kill him. That he had gotten to close and that Thea had been in the wrong place at the wrong time.  She was dead because she was targeted by Lucas Hunt, to show Felicity what he was capable of if she failed to give him what he wanted.  And it was a lesson to him, only Lucas hadn't realized that Felicity was in the dark about Oliver and Diggle's connection to Lucas.  Oliver clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles white at the effort it was taking to not just hit _something_.

The door behind him opened, and he knew it was Diggle without turning.

“Not now, Diggle, not now,” Oliver said, his voice tight. Rage simmered just below the surface.

“Yeah, Oliver, now. This isn’t something that you can categorize and tuck away for later examination,” Diggle said. “This is big and right now, Felicity is downstairs ripping herself apart at the guilt she is feeling. I won’t let you go down and rip her apart any further.”

Oliver didn’t respond, didn’t turn, he just kept staring out the window. His body vibrated with the anger he kept under rigid control.

“It’s not her fault, Oliver.”

Oliver gave a harsh laugh and swung around to face Diggle. His face was a mix of anger and guilt. Only the guilt wasn’t directed at anyone but himself.

“You don’t think I know that? You don’t think that I don’t know that all of this….this whole goddamn mess is my fucking fault? Because I promise you, the fact that it’s my fault and the moment Thea died are the only things going through my mind right now.” Oliver paced away from the window, his hands running through his head.

“It’s not your fault either, Oliver,” was all Diggle said, his voice mild.

“I should have told her,” Oliver shouted. “I should have fucking told her that night she joined our team and if I had, if I had listened to you, Thea would be alive. Felicity would never have left and this wouldn’t be happening right now.”

“You can’t keep thinking about what you should have done, Oliver! We are way past that. We have to deal with the now and right now, our best bet on catching Lucas is sitting downstairs probably trying to hatch a new plan on how to leave us again.”

 

\--------------------------------------

 

Downstairs, Lyla and Felicity both looked up at the ceiling when the shouting started. The words were muffled, but Felicity was pretty damn sure that she was the subject of said shouting. Felicity bit her lip, hands clenched around the mug of coffee she had poured herself. The storm brewing inside the house was of her making.

“I should go,” Felicity murmured quietly, “Yes, I should go. Leave now, before Lucas regroups.” Already contemplating the contacts she could reach out to in the city, Felicity placed her palms on the table and pushed her chair back, rising to her feet. Before she could take a single step, a hand wrapped around her wrist and held her in place with a steely grip. Looking down, Felicity numbly registered Lyla’s hand. Raising her head to look at Lyla, she was surprised to see warm compassion simmering in Lyla’s eyes.

“You will destroy them both if you leave,” she said. “Johnny never talked about you since we came back into each other’s lives. Not once. I didn’t know you existed until last night. I’ve known him for over ten years, and in the last three years, I never heard your name until yesterday night. It was like the flood gates were opened and I spent all last night and the early hours of the morning listening to my husband talk about you. You are his family, his sister, and he believes he failed you. And Oliver...he's on the edge of an abyss, Felicity. From what Johnny tells me, he's been there before and it was you who pulled him back.  They need you.” 

Felicity felt tears pressing on the back of her eyes and her vision blurred. She blinked rapidly, trying to keep them from falling, failing miserably.

“I can’t, Lyla, I can’t. I am the reason Thea is dead. I should have told them the minute Lucas hit town. But I didn’t. I failed him and caused Thea’s death. She is dead because of me. Me! My friend….” Felicity’s chest heaved with the sobs she attempted to suppress. Where is my control, she wondered. Where did all those years of self-control go? If there was anything she needed right now, it was that reserve, that armor that let her move forward with some semblance of normalcy. That armor that let her focus. She grasped desperately at its edges, trying to wrap herself in its void.

“It’s not your fault. The only person responsible for killing Thea is Lucas Hunt. And Felicity? You’re our best bet at putting a stop to him. We need you just as much as you need us. None of us can do this alone.”

Lyla’s words slowly penetrated the buzz of guilt and remorse that threatened to pull Felicity under. She needed to remember her goal, bring Lucas down. And Lyla was right. She could not do this alone.  She worked for five years to get the location of those servers.  It would take all three of them to get access.  This wasn't about her, and her own self-recriminations.  It was about avenging Thea and destroying the father that abandoned her mother and her all those years ago.  She stood up straight, smoothing her hair back from her face before re-tucking it into the bun on her head. She would do what she was meant to do. What Oliver had been looking for the moment he walked into her office. She was the hunted and it was time to become the hunter. No pun intended, she told herself. Well, maybe a little.

“You’re right, Lyla. This is about Lucas. Not me. Just Lucas.”

It wasn't quite what Lyla meant, but if that is what it took to get Felicity to focus and regroup, Lyla wasn't going to quibble.

There was a sudden rapid succession of crunching thuds before silence reigned. Lyla and Felicity looked at each other, and in unison, headed for the stairs.

\---------------------------------------

Oliver stared at Diggle, the idea of Felicity disappearing from their – _his_ – life made him physically sick, and yet relieved at the same time. He would probably get her killed, it only because of this fight with Lucas that escalated into a war when Thea was killed.

“Maybe she should, Diggle. Maybe she should get as far away from us as possible. Then we know she would live. Her running probably kept her alive longer had she stayed.”

“You don’t mean that, Oliver. Lucas is after her. Her! We can keep her safe.”

“She did just fine these last five years.”

“Because she has something he wants, Oliver! And he needs her alive. She’s been half a step ahead of him. He’s closer now than he ever was.”

“Because of me!” Oliver shouted, his restless pacing increasing in speed. Diggle pushed himself away from the door, getting right into Oliver’s face.

“Neither one of you is at fault. Both of you made poor choices; Felicity for running and you for failing to tell her why you came to her for help in the first place. And Oliver, you need to face another fact. I guaran-fucking-tee it, Felicity’s leaving was only partially because we never told her we were wooing her for our use.”

Oliver stopped pacing, confusion written all over his face.

“What are you talking about?”

“If I saw you and Laurel, don’t you think Felicity did?”

Oliver stared at Diggle in shock, thinking back to that day in Verdant. He had been half-drunk, his mind in a haze that day and the thought of Felicity seeing him and…especially after….it was too much. The bitterness, the anger, the guilt drove into him relentlessly.

Oliver turned and drove his fist into the wall. He kept crashing through plaster until he hit the frame. He left his fist in the third hole he created, breathing heavily, closing his eyes as he leaned his forehead against the wall. As if from far away, he heard steps running up the stairs, a murmur of voices, Diggle protesting, and then silence, blessed silence, both in the room and in his mind. He breathed deeply, attempting to regain some semblance of control, his body shaking at the effort. He pressed his forehead harder into the wall. So much damage, he had done so much damage. He went to pull his hand out, and that’s when he felt her touch. He tensed, recognizing her touch in a single instant. His nerve endings lit up at the feel of her fingers as they brushed over his arm to the hole in the wall. She took his wrist and gently pulled his arm back. Plaster covered his hand, mixing with the blood on his knuckles. She laid a damp towel across the back of his knuckles and gently wiped it clean.

“We need to clean this,” she murmured softly, leading him into the adjoining bathroom. She turned on the water to warm, continuing to clean his hand while avoiding looking directly at him. She placed his hand under the warm water and then gently lathered soap into it. It stung, but he stayed still, staring down at her bent head. Rinsing it clean, she looked at it closely and he flexed his fingers, opening and closing them a few times.

“I guess nothing’s broken,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She was so close that Oliver could feel every breath she took. Why was she here, right now, with him, he wondered. Why was she being so kind? Diggle’s words played over in his mind. Combined with her gentled touch, Oliver began to see reason. She dried his hand and led him back out into the bedroom. She took one last look at his hand and then gently put it down by his side. She seemed to be gathering courage, and Oliver wondered if it would desert her and she would walk out. He continued to stare down at her bent head. Please, he urged, please look at me.

Felicity looked up, head falling back to meet his gaze. Fire and ice, she thought, as their eyes crashed into each other. The blazing heat of his gaze melted her reserve, emotions spilled from both of them, tangling together and filling the room with a beautiful tension. Regret, longing, and desire mixed with something more, something deeper that Felicity wasn’t ready to examine. Her whole body yearned to lean into him, to step into his embrace, and let him close his arms around her. She yearned to hear his heart beating against her ear and the sweep of his hands across her back. She yearned to feel the warmth of his breath against her skin, and the press of his lips against her forehead. She yearned. God, she yearned. And it was that yearning that had her stepping back. Yet she kept her eyes on his and let him see all the yearning. The flare of response in his eyes had her breath hitching, but she did not move. Instead, she took another step back, shutting down. She finally turned her face away, closing her eyes. She was shocked to feel Oliver’s hand comes up to cradle her face, gently forcing her to look at him. His eyes were serious.

“It’s not your fault, Felicity.”

Felicity’s eyes widened at hearing those words. Certain he would condemn her; she was thrown off-balance. She shook her head.

“I should have…” she started, but he interrupted her.

“There is a lot that we both ‘should have’ done. But we didn’t and there is nothing we can do to change that now. But it’s not your fault. It’s not my fault. There is only one person responsible for Thea’s death.” The conviction in his voice, the intensity of his gaze did not allow Felicity to doubt his words. She searched for any doubt in his eyes, and there was none. She slowly nodded.

“Felicity…” he began and then stopped, seeming uncertain of whether to go on. Oliver didn’t know how long she had been in The Foundry the day she had run. He was ashamed to find out if Diggle was correct. He could assume, but there had been so many assumptions made by both of them for too long. With Felicity back in his life, he knew that a part of him had finally come home.   But this shadow lingered, and it only lent credence to Diggle’s assumption.

“Felicity…that day at The Foundry…when you heard….” Felicity was already shaking her head and stepping out of his hold. She headed for the door, her back rigid.

“Felicity…we need to talk about this to fix us.” At his words, Felicity paused, hand on the doorknob. She looked at him over her shoulder, her eyes solemn.

“There is no ‘us,” Oliver. Never was. There’s only Thea. There’s only Lucas. Let’s leave it at that.” She walked out, and didn’t look back.

The man in Oliver refused to accept her answer.  But now was not the time.  They would start fresh. Lucas Hunt may not know what’s coming for him, thought Oliver, but neither did Felicity. He suddenly grinned, feeling the anticipation of another kind of hunt.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver deals with Laurel after his "return" from his island getaway. Felicity meets Laurel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Hope you enjoy this next chapter. It's another transition FB chapter, adding more foundation for Felicity and Thea's relationship and Oliver's irrational and inexplicable need to keep information from Felicity. Also, I wanted to remind you all that in the FBs, Felicity is pretty young. Only 22 when she meets Oliver. So many of her reactions are reflective of being young and somewhat inexperienced.
> 
> As always, I appreciate everyone's comments. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I don't have a beta so feel free to point out errors. As always, thanks for reading.

_Seven Years Earlier_

It was a good thing, Oliver thought to himself as he stared at the very organized stacks of bills waiting to be paid, that Thea preferred to run the club when he was not around. There were three stacks, with Post-it notes on top. The stack nearest Oliver, and the club’s checkbook, had a fluorescent pink Post-it note with “Pay Now or Die” written on it. He leaned back in the bar stool, wincing slightly at the pulling sensation in his left side. Over a month later, and he still wasn’t 100%. It was frustrating for Oliver, who just “returned” to Starling City last week, to sit on the sidelines while Diggle was out in the field for A.R.G.U.S. Wishing he really had been on a tropical island rather than bunking at Diggle’s place, Oliver stroked his name over another check and paper clipped it to the corresponding invoice. He glanced over the next invoice and noticed that it was from their alcohol distributor. They had increased their monthly order, yet their bill was fifteen percent cheaper. Thea, he thought, is going to own this club one day. He was signing the check when he heard the front door open. Turning, he saw Laurel standing just inside the club.

“Hi,” he said uncertainly, not quite sure why she was there. Their on again, off again relationship had been off for some time now at her choosing. His reputation as a playboy caused a significant amount of friction in their relationship. That and his refusal to make take their relationship to the next level had led to a fight of epic proportions. This life, these secrets he kept, made any relationship difficult at best. But Laurel, they grew up together, and she was his first love from a different time. It was the memory of that love that had him trying again, and again. Laurel also hadn’t accepted that he was no longer that boy she loved in high school. She kept looking for him in the man he had becomes and thus failed to see the real him. Thus, their on again, off again relationship status.

“Hi,” she said, looking equally uncertain. “I was on lunch, so I thought I’d stop by.” Laurel shifted from one foot to the other, as she looked at him and then around the bar. An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Oliver searched his mind for something to say.

“Looks different during the day,” Laurel blurted out, apparently also feeling a need to fill the silence. He nodded, also looking around the club. He glanced at the hall leading to the back entrance, grateful that neither Thea nor Felicity was here. He stood up and met her half-way.

“So when did you get back?” she suddenly asked. Understanding dawned in Oliver and feeling more comfortable in this familiar exchange, he relaxed.

“About a week ago,” he said. The look of disappointment on her face fed Oliver’s guilt. He attempted to explain.

“I didn’t call, because the last time we saw each other, it did not end well,” he reminded her. She nodded, obviously upset.

“I’m sorry,” she said, biting her lip, tears swimming in her eyes. “I know I tend to rush head long into things and you have so much going on, although I have no idea what...I just want things to be good between us. The way they used to be.”

“Oh, Laurel,” Oliver sighed deeply, keeping his hands in his pocket. “I don’t think going back is going to help us. You are one of my oldest friends and I don’t want to lose that.”

“We were once both friends and lovers, Oliver. Do you think we could ever recapture that moment?”

Frowning, Oliver looked down at Laurel’s up-turned face, seeing the hope she tried so desperately to hide. He shook his head, and her face fell. He sighed, wanting to make it better but not sure how. This was Laurel. He could not remember a time when she had not been in his life.

“Why don’t we grab some dinner, catch up.”

Laurel’s face brightened and Oliver quickly clarified.

“As friends, Laurel. Let’s catch up as friends.”

“Oliver –” Stopping, Laurel looked behind him, a frown forming between her brows. Turning, Oliver saw Felicity had entered the club from the service entrance. Her eyes on her phone, she hadn’t noticed them standing there. Oliver suddenly felt uncomfortable and quickly put space between him and Laurel. He frowned when he realized what he had done. He also noticed that his quick movement had not escaped Laurel’s notice. Felicity suddenly looked up and her mouth formed a perfect O.

“Oh...sorry...am I interrupting? What am I saying, of course, I’m interrupting. I’m sorry, I’ll just...” Felicity motioned over her shoulder, taking a step back.

“It’s a little early for a bartender to be showing up, isn’t it?” asked Laurel, one perfect eyebrow arching, her gaze sweeping over Felicity’s attire.

“Oh, I don’t work here. No. Not a chance. I’d never work for Oliver. He is can be such a di...” Felicity stopped, cheeks flushing. She looked at Oliver uncertainly and then back at Laurel, whom she recognized immediately. Felicity suddenly wished she had worn a dress instead of her usual pair of low-slung cargo pants with a black tank that just revealed her mid-riff. She nervously smoothed a hand over her hair, noting Laurel’s eyes followed the movement.

“Then, who are you?” Laurel inquired, looking from Felicity to Oliver.

“I’m nobody...well, obviously not nobody, but...” Why didn’t Oliver say anything? Felicity thought desperately.

“Felicity’s a friend of mine, here to help with the club’s computer security and online presence,” Oliver filled in smoothly. Felicity threw him a grateful smile.

“Yes, a friend. This is a favor. A HUGE favor, big...I don’t work for him...” Felicity stopped again. What is wrong with me, she thought. I am such a disaster. A disaster.

“I see. Well, I’m Laurel Lance, Oliver’s...”

Oliver coughed and Laurel looked at him. Before she could say anything, Felicity was already talking. Or rather rambling. She watched herself, as if from afar, and wondered why she didn’t just stop.

“I know who you are...you’re Gorgeous Laurel...” Felicity’s bit her tongue and sent a prayer for whatever God that looked favorably on her to open the floor beneath her. Now. She took another step back, and bumped into Thea, who was also looking down at her phone while walking.

“Oh good, you’re here. Oliver is being a dick again and you seem to be the only one who can...” Thea trailed off when she noticed said dick was in the room. She was about to grin when she noticed who else was here. Instead, Thea’s eyes widened at the sight of Laurel and she threw a quick glance at Felicity, noting the brunette’s red face and the fidgeting of her hands as she tugged at her tank. Eyes narrowing and correctly assuming that Felicity was feeling intimidated by Laurel, she blasted a sugary-sweet smile at Laurel.

“Laurel, I haven’t seen you in months. Not since you and Oliver broke up. Again.”

“Thea...” Oliver warned, frowning at his sister. Jesus, how the hell did this become so confrontational? And why did he feel guilt the minute that Felicity saw him with Laurel? He and Felicity were friends. Over the last month, that friendship had grown but never beyond friendship. Felicity was...she was...Oliver looked at her, her cheeks still pink from her exchange with Laurel, yet her eyes wide with fascination as she watched Thea be...well, Thea. She was chewing on her bottom lip, and Oliver felt a sudden urge to chew on it for her. Dammit, there it was. That unexplainable desire for a woman that was too good for him. She was sunshine while he was the storm that blocked the light. And no matter how much he wanted to bathe in her light, he would only corrupt her with his darkness and he could not bear for Felicity to lose that which made her so unique. Realizing, Thea was talking to him, Oliver reigned in his wayward thoughts and focused on what she was saying.

“What? I haven’t, though. And here you are back just a week from...where was it you went, anyway? And who was it you went with? Anyway, barely home a week and Laurel's here. What brings you to Verdant, Laurel? We don’t open for another...” Thea glanced at her phone. “Eight hours.” Thea moved behind the bar, setting her bag on top. She began lazily flipping through the invoices to see which ones Oliver had paid. Oliver closed his eyes. Jesus, Thea never cared about his relationship with Laurel, but apparently, something had changed in the last month. Wondering what, he was about to rebuke her on her rudeness, but felt Laurel press up against him. Looking down, he was subjected to a slow smile from Laurel as she tucked her arm through Oliver’s. Jesus, he thought again.

“I was just leaving, Thea. Just confirming plans for dinner tonight with Oliver. Pick me up at eight?”

Wanting her gone, now, Oliver quickly agreed and began moving Laurel towards the entrance.

“So nice to see you, Laurel,” Thea called out, “Enjoy your dinner. Felicity and I could sure use the break from his company for once!” Oliver shot Thea a dirty look as he quickly ushered Laurel to the door. He thought he could feel two sets of eyes weighing on him, but when he looked over his shoulder; both Thea and Felicity were looking at something on Felicity’s tablet. Thea was murmuring something that had Felicity fighting a smile. Whatever it was that Thea was saying was too much, and a tinkle of laughter escaped. It made Oliver want to smile just at the sound, but Laurel had picked up on the laughter and was about to turn back.

“I’ll pick you up at eight, Laurel.” Distracted, she smiled and kissed his cheek before slipping out the door. He waved at her through the glass, and then locked the door. Turning, he found Thea glaring at him while Felicity focused intently on her tablet as she connected it the computer that served as a register at the bar.

“What?” he asked.

“I thought that was over, brother mine.”

Oliver pinned Thea with a stare and then resumed his seat at the bar to finish signing checks.

“None of your business, Thea.”

“It is when she comes sashaying into my bar and makes my friend feel uncomfortable.”

Oliver stopped mid-signature and looked up in time to see Felicity shaking her head wildly at Thea. Seeing his gaze on her, she quickly stopped and busied herself logging onto the club’s computer system from the bar register. She refused to look his way.

“My bar, Thea,” he reminded her, “And what are you talking about?”

Thea opened her mouth but Felicity interrupted.

“Thea.”

Thea looked over her shoulder. Felicity didn’t even look up from the monitor.

“Thea, you really shouldn’t use ‘Oliver is a dick’ as a network password. Way too easy for me to crack.” Silence fell, broken by the tapping of Felicity’s fingers as they flew over the keyboard. Thea finally sniggered, looking unrepentant. Oliver glared at Thea, who remained unimpressed. She gave Oliver a pointed look.

“It’s easy to remember,” was all she said though as she grabbed the paid bills from in front of Oliver and headed upstairs towards the office. Looking down at Oliver and Felicity, she shook her head. Oliver was pretending not to stare at Felicity who in turn was actually failing to notice she had the attention of Starling City’s most eligible bachelor. Thea had taken to Felicity since the day she had shown up in the club shortly after Oliver had taken off with some bimbo to some island in the tropics. Telling Thea that Oliver had asked her to assist the club with its computer security and online presence, Felicity had become a fixture on most weeknights and almost every weekend. She and Felicity, with the occasional company of Claire, had become thick as thieves. Felicity was so different from everyone Thea knew. She was genuine and giving in her friendship and her occasional inability to filter was refreshing for Thea, who had grown up around people who excelled at the art of meaningless platitudes and hiding their every thought.

In the week since Oliver came home, Thea saw in him what she had seen in the club that night she first met Felicity. He looked at Felicity like she was a lollipop that he could not wait to lick. She hadn’t seen him look at woman like that...ever. And she had seen him with plenty of women, including the almighty Laurel. Thea giggled to herself, imagining what would happen if she locked those two in the stock room. Eeewww, I can’t believe I’m trying to set my brother up, she thought. But since he seemed incapable of doing better for himself, she may as well jump in. Studying Felicity, Thea pursed her lips and wondered what she would look like as a blonde. Smiling, she made a mental note to chat with Felicity about a make-over.

\----------------------

Oliver resumed going through the remaining invoices, his eyes wandering over to Felicity. She seemed oblivious to his perusal as she worked. He wondered at Thea’s words and was curious as to why Felicity would feel uncomfortable around Laurel. He looked at her again. She sighed loudly while staring intently at the computer screen, and he thought she was annoyed at what she was seeing. He looked at the next invoice and scribbled his name on another check. He looked at Felicity again.

“What, Oliver?” she demanded, without looking up from the computer. Surprised, he groped for something to say. She sighed again, keyed in a few more commands, and then logged off. Turning to him, she leaned one arm on the bar and waited.

“I feel like I should apologize or something,” he said, feeling a bit foolish that he couldn't articulate why he should apologize.

“Why, Oliver?”

“I don’t know, but Thea...” He trailed off, unsure of what to say. Again, he thought about what Thea said of Felicity being made to feel uncomfortable. Since his “return,” he realized that Felicity had become a fixture at Verdant while he recuperated. Thea obviously adored her and he noticed the staff brightened in her presence. She was just as much a part of this place as he or Thea. She should never be made to feel uncomfortable here.

“Felicity, why would Laurel make you feel uncomfortable?” he asked his voice serious. He held her gaze until she looked away, her fingers plucking at the hem of her shirt.

“Thea shouldn’t have said that,” was all she said, but Oliver was shaking his head.

“I can be incredibly unobservant about some things, Felicity, and this is one of those times that I know I missed something. Why were you uncomfortable?”

Felicity shifted, feeling foolish. She and Oliver were friends. Nothing more and this feeling of inadequacy in the face of Laurel’s perfection embarrassed her. She had no claim to Oliver, despite what she may otherwise wish. She needed to start dating, she suddenly decided. Like right now.

“Felicity?” Oliver prompted. Dammit, he wasn’t going to let it go. It was not Felicity’s nature to lie but she really, really didn’t want to tell Oliver why she felt uncomfortable.

“There’s nothing to apologize for. You didn’t do anything. It’s me.”

“Felicity, that’s not an explanation.” The man was like a dog with a bone, Felicity thought irritably.

“Jesus, Oliver! Fine. I was uncomfortable because Gorgeous Laurel is, well, gorgeous. Polished to perfection with the perfect wardrobe and some killer shoes. And I’m, well, I’m me. My cargo pants and tanks are as far from glamorous as one can get...” Felicity trailed off, cheeks flaming with color as she looked everywhere but at Oliver.

He was stunned. Utterly and stupidly stunned. Felicity exuded such confidence that it didn’t even cross his mind that she could ever feel she was less because of another person. And he found he could not let her think that she was any less than the beautiful woman he saw every time he looked at her. Rising from the bar stool, he came around the bar until he was standing directly in front of her, forcing her to look up at him. Their gazes collided, embarrassment reflected in hers and his flaming with determination. Placing one hand on her shoulder, he leaned in close.

“There is no comparison, Felicity, none. You are beautiful, just as you are.”

The words were said so softly, as if he was telling her a deep secret. And in a way, he was. For this is something they never talked about, this attraction they felt for each other remained unsaid by tacit agreement. Oliver could not give Felicity what she deserved, no matter how much he craved to be in her presence. They stood, locked in a sensual silence, staring at each other, neither willing to break the connection.

“Um, now am I the one interrupting?” Felicity jumped at the sound of Thea’s voice. Oliver didn’t even flinch. He just slowly moved away, his gaze lingering on Felicity until he resumed his seat and began signing checks again.

Thea hid her smile, thinking maybe she wouldn’t have to stoop to locking them in the stock room. Maybe just the club.

\-------------------------

It was almost eight and of course, Oliver was running late. He tugged at the jacket of his suit, wondering again why he had let his guilt drive him to issue Laurel a dinner invitation. Sending her a quick text to let her know that an issue at the club had delayed him, he headed down from the office to the main floor. Customers were starting to filter in, just enough for the hum of conversation to rise above the music playing in the background. Making his way over to Thea, he handed her keys to the office. She swept an eye over his suit, and shook her head.

“I can’t believe you are taking Laurel to dinner.”

“Not your business, Thea,” he reminded her. She made a rude noise accompanied by an equally rude hand gesture.

“You’re my brother and I love you despite the fact you can be such a dick. So of course it’s my business.”

Oliver rolled his eyes at her and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.

“Call me if you need anything,” was all he said. She gave him a lovely smile, filled with mischief.

“No worries, Ollie. Felicity is coming to help behind the bar tonight...oh look, there she is.” Thea waved a very enthusiastic hello. Turning, Oliver forgot where he was and what he was doing. Felicity sauntered in the front entrance, wearing a pair of skin-tight black leather pants with a pair of sky-high stilettos. But it was her top, dear lord in heaven, her top that had Oliver salivating. Emerald green and strapless, it shimmered in the lights of the club, emphasizing the warm gold of her skin. Straps crisscrossed around her midriff and disappeared into the back, revealing a tantalizing amount of skin that his fingers just itched to caress. Her long dark hair fell in waves around her face, emphasizing the ocean blue of her eyes and the plump violet of her lips. He swallowed. Hard. He found his eyes mesmerized by the sway of her hips as she walked over to them. Felicity smiled slowly as she came closer and Oliver nearly groaned aloud.

Thea leaned into him and whispered, “Close your mouth and wipe the drool, Ollie. Your date is waiting.” And with that, she shoved him toward the entrance of the club, not giving him a chance to speak to Felicity. The two women watched Oliver walk out, trying not to laugh as he threw glances over his shoulder every two seconds. Felicity sighed.

“You know that moment, in Grease, when Olivia Newton-John comes out in spandex and John Travolta falls to his knees?” Felicity asked. “I always wondered what she felt in that moment. And now I know.” Thea laughed, hugging Felicity with one arm, and then handed her a pair of flats.

\---------------------------

Oliver sat at dinner, his mind back at Verdant. He glanced surreptitiously at his watch and saw it was almost ten. He had been distracted all through dinner and he knew his distraction had not escaped Laurel’s notice. She asked once what was bothering him, but he made some vague reference to the club. Nodding her head, she kept chatting about one topic or another. Each attempt more desperate than the one before They had just finished dinner and were waiting for the dessert menu when Oliver realized that Laurel had stopped talking.

“I’m sorry, Laurel. What were you saying?” It had been about some charity auction his mother was hosting next week. Or was that earlier? For a moment, Laurel said nothing. Then she sighed, and placed her napkin on the table.

“It’s too late for us, isn’t it Oliver?”

Startled at the change in conversation, Oliver met Laurel’s eyes. There was a quiet acceptance he had never seen before.

“You’re not even really here, are you?” she asked, head tilting to one side.

“I’m sorry, Laurel.”

She took a sip of her wine and opened her clutch.

“Yes, I imagine you are, Oliver. But you know what? Thea is right.” Laurel tossed a few twenties on the table before standing.

“And so is that girl. Felicity? That’s her name, right Oliver?”

Oliver said nothing, just waited. Whatever was coming, he deserved.

“You’re a dick.”

Well, he didn't expect that. But it didn't make it any less true.

\---------------------------

Oliver wandered into the club just after closing time. He had spent the last several hours driving aimlessly around Starling City and the surrounding area. He saw Diggle standing at the bar with Felicity, the two deep in conversation. Picking up on their tension, he looked around, but Thea was nowhere in sight.

“She’s not here, Oliver. I sent her home, said I would close up.” Felicity assured him, letting him know it was safe to talk freely.

“What’s going on?”

“It’s not good, Oliver,” Diggle began.

“What’s going on?” Oliver repeated. Felicity stepped forward. He noticed the heels were gone, replaced with a pair of flats.

“Those account numbers you asked me to trace? I was finally able to make some headway. I called John as soon as I saw to whom the accounts belonged. I didn’t want to interrupt...” Felicity trailed off, and Oliver realized she thought he had been with Laurel this entire time. He rubbed his forehead, wanting to disabuse her of that notion, but now was not the time. The expression on Diggle’s face and the empathy in Felicity’s eyes was enough for Oliver to know that his fear was about to become a reality.

“Tell me about the accounts, Felicity.”

“The accounts belongs to your father.”

Despite having suspected that his father was involved, the news still hit Oliver in the gut with such intensity that he found himself needing to take a few breaths.

“And the money in those accounts? Were you able to trace the source?” he managed to ask. Felicity nodded.

“In a way. I was able to trace the deposits back to an organization called H.I.V.E. That was especially difficult since I didn’t want to leave a footprint and there were numerous cyber traps protecting each shell company that fronted the actual source. Once I was able to identify H.I.V.E., I stopped. There are some epically complex security weaves,” Felicity’s voice turned to admiration and longing. “I can get through them, but it is going to take time since I’m thinking I need to be a ghost in the machine, a shadow, so no one knows who is doing the hacking.”

Oliver was already shaking his head. He knew what H.I.V.E. was, so did Diggle, and he didn't want Felicity anywhere near the organization.

“Oliver, you knew those accounts belonged to your father, didn’t you? It’s why you went to QC the night you were shot?” asked Diggle.

“I suspected,” Oliver admitted, shaking his head.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Oliver? You were the last person that should have attempted to confront him.”

“I just couldn’t, Diggle. _He’s my father_! I didn’t want to believe it. I almost didn’t, but the way he smoothly pulled a weapon on me and shot with no hesitation...well, that made me realize that there is more to my father than I realized.”

“Once I hack into H.I.V.E.’s servers, we should be able to gather more information.” Felicity said, flexing her fingers in anticipation. There was nothing more exciting than a cyber-challenge. And it had been so long since she saw something this complex. She was already mentally creating code.

“No! You will leave it, Felicity. Leave H.I.V.E. alone.” Oliver said, harshly. Diggle made a noise, and shook his head at Oliver. Poor guy, he was about to meet another side of the woman he brought on their team. Since meeting Felicity, Diggle quickly learned that she was no pushover. She came across as sweet and accommodating, but there was a spine of steel and a stubbornness that rivaled Oliver’s. This was going to be good.

"Wait, why?” Felicity asked, confused. “This is what I do, why I joined your team. This organization is obviously sketchy as hell, A.R.G.U.S. appears to have let them exist for some reason, and you obviously have heard of them, so why am I not downstairs, right now, hacking to my heart’s content?”

“Like you said, A.R.G.U.S. has let them exist. They must have a reason so I’ll start with them. See what information I have. No going after H.I.V.E. Felicity. It’s too dangerous.”

“I’m confused. How is this any more dangerous than from any other mission? In the short month I’ve been involved, we’ve dealt with sketchy plenty of time.”

“I said leave it, Felicity!” Oliver’s voice was dangerously close to yelling and instead of feeling intimidated, it only fueled Felicity’s desire to push. What was she missing?

“Why? Why shouldn’t I dig into H.I.V.E.? It’s what I do. Why not now? What do you _both_ ” and she threw Diggle a look letting him know she was on to him as well, “know that you’re not telling me?”

“You do what I tell you to do. That’s what you do.” Oliver lashed out, his face a cold, hard mask. Diggle looked at him in surprise. Felicity froze, blinking rapidly. Her hands clenched into fists, mouth opening and then closing. She took one breath and looked down at her hands, forcing them to open. When she looked up, her face was blank, except for the anger burning in her eyes. She held her hands up in a gesture of surrender. For a moment, Oliver thought she was going to apologize for pushing. Instead, Felicity grabbed her bag off the bar, and without looking at either him or Diggle, headed for the front entrance of the club. Oliver held an arm out to stop her, but she moved out of reach and kept walking.

“Felicity!” Oliver called after her. Without looking back, she flipped him the bird and disappeared into the darkness.

Diggle walked over and stood beside Oliver as they both stared at the spot where Felicity had disappeared from view.

“Just so I’m clear, you can’t tell Felicity about our hunt for Lucas or the virus, because then she’ll know you lied about why you sought her help that first night?” Diggle’s voice was deceptively mild, but the undertone of sarcasm wasn’t lost on Oliver.

“It’s too dangerous. Can you imagine what Lucas would do if he was able to get his hands on someone like Felicity?”

“The only way Lucas would find out about Felicity is if he already knew she existed and was having her watched. We checked her background thoroughly. There’s nothing there. Just the ordinary life of a genius making a better life for herself.”

“Too dangerous,” Oliver repeated.

“Oliver, it’s not any more dangerous now than it was at the beginning. Why is it so important that she not know? It makes no sense.”

Oliver didn’t answer because he didn’t have an answer. It was irrational, this fear that she would leave if she knew how thoroughly he researched her before approaching her for help. It was irrational, this belief that she would leave if she knew that his plan had been to seduce her for help. It was irrational, this worry that she would not believe their friendship, the friendship that had developed over the last year, was real.

“Oliver, the longer you keep our search for Lucas from Felicity, the more danger she is in. The longer you don’t tell her that finding her was no accident; well...you’re making a mountain out of a mole hill. It gets worse with time when it wasn’t even bad to begin with. She understands what we do, she would expect you to have done your homework on her.”

They were silent for a few minutes before Oliver spoke.

“Right now, we need to find out what my father is doing with the money Lucas is paying him.”

Diggle shook his head. The ridiculousness of keeping Felicity in the dark was not lost on Oliver yet to Diggle's frustration, he still did nothing. Diggle knew when to press and when to re-strategize.

“Oh, well, you need Felicity for that,” Diggle pointed out, picking his jacked up off the bar. Shrugging it on, he made a show of zipping it up and checking his pocket for keys.

“Dig...”

Diggle was already shaking his head, “Nope, you call her.”

Oliver sighed, and pulled out his cell. He stared at it for a minute and then dialed Felicity’s cell. Certain that she wouldn’t pick up, he was surprised when she answered.

“You’re a dick, Oliver.” She disconnected before he could say anything else.

“Good luck with that,” was all Diggle said, his laughter echoing behind him as he walked out of the club.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity and Oliver clear the air to one extent. The plan to take down Lucas Hunt takes its first step to fruition.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so excited to see the interest my story is generating. I'm having such a positive experience with my first foray into fan fiction that I can't thank you all enough. I'm learning so much this go around that I'm confident future stories will improve not only in story-telling and in writing but in depth and characterization as well.
> 
> Thank you so much, guys, for the warm welcome!

Felicity sat curled into the corner of the sofa, her black cardigan toasty warm from the dryer.  She tugged it over her hands, as she curled her arms around herself and tucked her bare feet under a cushion.  She hadn’t seen Oliver since she left him upstairs a few hours ago.   She had heard the shower start and then silence.  Relieved, yet disappointed at the same time, to have a respite from Oliver, she let the murmurs coming from the kitchen as Lyla and Diggle set about fixing dinner lull her into relaxing into the soft cushions of the sofa.   Emotionally and physically exhausted and unable to control her body’s need to recharge, Felicity fell asleep and dreamt of Thea.

_“Have you ever thought about going blonde, Felicity?”_

_“I’m not going blonde, Thea.”_

_“You’d look smashing as a blonde.”_

_“Are you saying I look less than smashing as a brunette?”_

_“I’m saying you’d have my brother at your feet if you were blonde.  Not that he isn’t about to fall at your feet…this would just cause him to trip a bit quicker.”_

_“I don’t want your brother at my feet, Thea.”_

_“No, of course not. You want him in your bed.”_   And the sound of Thea’s laughter after Felicity lobbed a box of cocktail picks at Thea’s head echoed joyfully in Felicity’s mind as she her eyes slowly fluttered open.  A single tear trailed down her cheek.  Felicity laid still, all warm and drowsy, feeling a joyful sadness at the memory of her friendship with Thea.  She felt the softness of a blanket against her cheek and realized that someone had carefully tucked a chenille blanket around her while she slept.  It was quiet, the sounds of Lyla and Diggle in the kitchen gone.  The living room was bathed in shadows, lit only by the soft glow coming from a small lamp that sat on a table near the front door.  But Felicity knew she wasn’t alone.   Oliver sat at the opposite end of the sofa, his gaze on the tablet in front of him.  As she raised her head, he looked up at her, his eyes tracing the tear on her cheek.  The shadow of his scruff gave him a dangerous air in the dim light.

“What were you dreaming?” he asked gently. 

“Of Thea,” Felicity said, her voice hushed in the silence.

“You were smiling in your sleep, and now you are crying.”

A sad smile crossed her face as she recollected her dream.  He hadn’t asked a question, but the quiet of the moment, the fragile truce between them, prompted Felicity to answer anyway.

“I dreamt of the time Thea tried to convince me to dye my hair blonde,” she said, her voice wistful at the memory.  Oliver’s eyes swept over her hair, studying the strands tumbling around her shoulders. So different from the inky black of the past, it was bright and beautiful, no more yet no less beautiful.  It was simply Felicity.

“It’s beautiful,” he finally said.  Recalling Thea’s words in her dream, Felicity felt a blush start to spread across her cheeks.  Mistaking his perusal as the cause of her blush, Oliver looked away.  Those few days after Thea’s death were a blur of alcohol-fueled denial and grief.  And the anger….so much rage.  He let it consume him; let it take over everything until he was so consumed that he failed to notice those around him.  After Felicity left, his focus had been on vengeance and finding Felicity.  He never once considered the grief that Felicity must have experienced, was still experiencing.  He felt shame for having been so self-centered.

“You didn’t just lose a friend that day. You also lost a sister.”

“It’s not the same,” Felicity protested but Oliver was already shaking his head.

“We are not bound simply by the family we are born to, Felicity. We choose our family as well. And you and Thea chose each other.”

At his words, another tear escaped.  Felicity felt the truth of his words in her heart, and despite the years since Thea’s death, she had never fully grieved that loss.  Frightened during those first few months, she had operated on auto-pilot, her mind constantly on the alert as she began to build her network.  Thea stayed in that secret part of her heart that she locked away the day she realized that Thea’s death was her doing.  The grief was still tucked inside her of her, pressing in on her, demanding release.  But she could not let go. Not yet. Not yet.

“Felicity,” Oliver started, his tone hesitant.  He didn’t want to destroy this singular moment between them, where Felicity wasn’t closed off to him, or walking away from him and he wasn’t saying all the wrong things.  Felicity seemed to agree, because despite the soft sigh she gave, she didn’t move from where she lay.

“I was so young back then, Oliver.  So damn young.  While my life had been hard, the things I’ve seen and done since leaving Starling City cast a harsh light on just how naïve I was.  I was barely 24 when I ran from everything and everyone I knew.  I ran without direction, without a plan, and for months it took everything I had to stay a step ahead of you and Lucas.”  Felicity picked at a thread on the blanket, before pushing it off as she raised herself to a sitting position.

“Seeing you with Laurel, kissing her, and then hearing you and Diggle talking about Lucas, you calling me a means to an end...nothing processed right.  My emotions clouded my thoughts. How I felt about you, my grief over Thea, my guilt for causing her death…it controlled my reactions and while the rational part of my brain was screaming at me to get it together, I couldn’t.”

Felicity pinched the bridge of her nose, eyes squeezing shut, recalling how she stood frozen in the shadows long after Diggle and Oliver had made their way to the basement.  She didn’t know how long she stood in the ruined, upper-level of what was once Verdant, she only knew that when her body finally started to move, it had become dark.  And she had realized that the darkness was the veil she needed to run.

“It was my fault Thea died.  I had gone to the club to tell you everything, to confess my stupidity.  I was going tell you all about Lucas Hunt, who he was, and what he wanted.  But you already knew, except you didn’t know it was me you were trying to find.  Once I overheard that you had specifically sought me out, had researched a pool of IT ‘geeks’ before settling on me to find, well, to find me, everything began to make a weird sort of sense.  The tech you brought me, the systems you had me hacking, and the trips you took in relation to those things...all those pieces started to fit together and it was all just too much.  Stupidly, I felt betrayed…I mean, why should our meeting be an accident? I was so angry.  And humiliated.  Our friendship meant more to me than I realized and in that moment, I didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t.”

Oliver tried to breathe past the weight that sank deeper into his chest at her words.  Neither he nor Diggle had known that Felicity had been in Verdant the day she disappeared from Starling City.  Since finding Felicity and realizing he was the reason why she ran, a crushing guilt not unlike when Thea died, had settled over him.   So many things that had gone wrong were caused by his inability to tell Felicity that their meeting had never been a fortuitous accident, but a carefully orchestrated manipulation.  The fact that she was the creator of the virus only complicated matters.  

“For a minute there, Oliver, I blamed you. I blamed you for making me responsible for Thea’s death. If you had only told me everything from the beginning, then maybe Thea would be alive…but you didn’t, and I didn’t tell you about Lucas and the only person to pay for our stupidity was Thea.”

They fell quiet again, both lost in thought.  When Oliver set his tablet aside, and rose, Felicity thought their peaceful interlude was over.  She was surprised, and not a little bit wary, when he moved closer, sitting on the edge of the coffee table across from where she sat.  His eyes roamed over her face, tracing the sweep of her cheek, the arch of her brow before settling again on her hair.  Lifting a hand, he hesitantly brought it closer, and lifted a lock from her shoulder.  He sifted it through his fingers, feeling the softness tickle the back of his hands as the strands fell back to her shoulder.

“I was kissing Laurel before I knew I was kissing Laurel. Half-drunk, sure, but not so drunk as to not know what was happening,” Oliver began to explain.

“You don’t owe me an explanation for that, Oliver. We were never anything more than friends.”

“Weren’t we though?” At his quiet words, Felicity’s eyes flew up to meet his.  There was a quiet intensity in his gaze that captivated.  She couldn’t look away, even if she wanted to.  This was a truth that remained unspoken between them.  A truth that harkened back to a time before everything went wrong.  She licked her lips, throat suddenly dry.  Oliver’s eyes followed the movement of her tongue, his eyes hot, causing a quiver to start low in Felicity’s stomach.

“There was always something between us. Something we never talked about. Maybe it was because neither of us was ready or both of us were scared.  Maybe it was because I such a dick back then, or because you didn’t believe enough in the power you held over me.  But there was always something between us.”

“Oliver, I –” Felicity was stunned into silence when he took her hands and pulled her to the edge of the couch. She was so surprised at the contact that she didn’t resist.

“I cannot apologize enough and I won’t stop apologizing. You were never a ‘nobody,’ Felicity. Never.”

He held her hands tightly as he captured her gaze with his, refusing to let her look anywhere but at him, to see him.  And she saw him. She could always see to the truth of his heart and knew he meant every word he said.  His words were everything Felicity had longed to hear all those years ago.  This was a side of Oliver that she had only glimpsed all those years ago. It was the heart of him that she had always seen when he tried to use his playboy persona to talk around her.  They couldn’t go back and change everything they had done.  But, she wondered, if maybe, there was some hope on going forward?  She stared at him solemnly, knowing that she was in control of this moment. That what she said next would set the foundation for whatever was to come next.  Before she could speak, he was standing, drawing her up with him.

“Don’t say anything, not now.  Right now, can I – can I just hold you?  I need to feel you in my arms, know you’re real and that you are safe and here, right now, with me.  Five years of searching, Felicity, five years.  Please.”

This time it was his use of the word ‘please’ that was her undoing.  She didn’t hesitate, just stepped into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck, pressing herself as close as she could get to him.   This was as much for her as it was for him.  His arms closed around  her like bands of steel, and she felt a shudder go through his body.  He pulled her impossibly closer, burying his face in her neck.  Felicity relaxed into his arms, and realized that for the first time in five years, she felt at home.

“You were never nobody,” he whispered against her neck. “You were everything.”

They heard the sound of someone moving upstairs, and then the low murmur of voices.  Oliver reluctantly let Felicity slide out of his arms.  They both turned as Diggle came down the stairs.  He hesitated briefly, his sharp eyes not missing how close they were standing to each other.  His expression, though, gave nothing away.  Instead, he handed Oliver a cell. 

“This just came in from A.R.G.U.S. and it’s not good.”

Oliver swore at what he read, before handing the phone to Felicity.  Local gang violence escalated with a sudden influx of weapons and drugs pouring into the Glades over the last several hours.  Starling City police were attempting to isolate the violence to the Glades, but they were outmanned and outgunned.

Hand fisted, Oliver turned to Diggle.  “We need to get home.”

Diggle nodded in agreement.  “This has the potential to explode into a full on riot that could bleed into the more stable parts of the city.  And there aren’t that many stable parts to begin with.”

“This is Lucas,” Felicity said. “It has his fingerprints all over it. “

“How do you know?  We have no intel that traces these weapons or drugs back to him or H.I.V.E.” asked Lyla, as she came down the stairs. 

“I can get you that, if you want hard proof or you can take my word for it.  I know Lucas, I know his patterns, I know how he distracts, feints to the left while everyone else goes right.  I know almost every single major shell corporation used by H.I.V.E. as a front and there are hundreds of them.  I spent the last five years getting to know Lucas.   _I know_ .”

Nibbling on her bottom lip, Felicity began pacing.  Before they could bring Lucas down, they needed access to his four servers.  Located on four different continents, three of them would require travel over a significant amount of distance.  Her original plan was to do access each of them alone; using an A.R.G.U.S. plane as payment for whatever service they needed from her.  Since that was a bust, she needed to make a trade.  She eyed Lyla contemplatively who immediately picked up on Felicity’s expression.

“What?” Lyla asked. 

“For our original meeting, I planned to ask to use one of your planes for a set period of time at some point in the future as payment for whatever help you needed from me,” Felicity replied. “Since A.R.G.U.S. was not actually in need of my skills,” a pointed look at Oliver and Diggle, “I think I have something else I can offer in exchange for use of a plane.”

“Felicity, QC has a plane we can use,” Oliver said but Felicity was already shaking her head.

“No, your father would have access to any flight plans QC pilots registered with the FAA.  We need a plane that no one can trace.”  Felicity turned back to Lyla.

“I don’t have the authority to make that kind of deal, Felicity, and I doubt my superiors would authorize use of one of our planes in exchange for information.”

“They would for this information,” Felicity said, her voice filled with enticement.  A small smile played about her lips, one that had Lyla studying her intently.

“Do I get a hint at what you’re offering?”

“Oh, I’ll tell you straight up because you won’t find him without the information I have.”   Definitely intrigued, Lyla glanced at Diggle who was watching Felicity with fascination.  Oliver was equally fascinated at this new side of Felicity.  

“Get me that plane, Lyla, and I’ll give you Floyd Lawton’s exact location.”

Diggle inhaled sharply at Felicity’s words.  After throwing Lyla a look, he walked over to Felicity coming to a stop right in front of her.  Surprised, Felicity stopped mid-pace. 

“What do you know about Floyd Lawton?” he demanded, his voice low and urgent.  Felicity frowned in confusion.

“He’s an assassin.  Works primarily for H.I.V.E., but isn’t shy about taking jobs with other organizations, including A.R.G.U.S .  Rumor is he tattoos the names of his kills on his body.  Why, John? Do you know Lawton?”

Diggle’s face was a mask of pain and anger combined with a need for vengeance and peace.  Felicity suddenly understood.

“Oh, John,” she said softly, laying a hand on his arm. “He’s the one who killed Andy, isn’t he?”  No one said anything and Felicity didn’t need them to.  Pulling out her phone from the pocket of her sweater, she typed in a few commands. Within seconds, Lyla’s phone beeped.

“His location as of this morning,” Felicity said.  “If he stays true to his patterns, he’ll be there for another two days and then gone. I can find him again though if he leaves sooner.  Because of his connection to H.I.V.E., I keep tabs on him.”

“I don’t know if I can get you the plane,” Lyla said, but Felicity shrugged, and she took Diggle’s hand in her own.  She squeezed his hand gently before releasing it.

“I didn’t give you the information for the plane. It was for John.  I’ll find another way. I always do.” 

Diggle and Lyla exchanged a look and Lyla disappeared into the kitchen.  Felicity resumed pacing, absently chewing on her thumbnail.  Realizing that she was engaging in a habit long broken, she hastily dropped her hand to her side.  Looking up, she saw that both Oliver and Diggle were studying her with interest.

“What?” she said, unconsciously echoing Lyla.

“One day, when we have time, you’re going to explain what exactly you’ve been doing the last five years and exactly what type of network you’ve established,” Oliver remarked, admiration coloring his voice. She gifted him with one of her tiny smiles before resuming pacing.

“Thank you, Felicity.” 

“John….If I’d known Lawton’s connection to you sooner, I’d have sent that information to you long ago.”

“I never told you, Felicity, so I'm going to thank you anyway.” 

Felicity smiled and resumed pacing, thinking of alternative modes of transportation.  She could always call Ray, but didn't want to risk him being caught in Lucas' cross-hairs. There was her contact with the airlines, who could certainly get her a seat on standby, but then she would have to call in all her chips with customs and she wasn't ready to do that yet.  She was so engrossed in her own thoughts, she didn't notice when Lyla walked back into the room.

“John, we have point on picking up Lawton.  Felicity, you have your plane.”

Felicity halted, surprised. “Wait, what? The info was free once I knew the connection John had to Lawton.”

“Yeah, but my superiors didn’t know that, so you have your plane.  That was one piece of information they were willing to pay almost anything for...the plane was nothing.  It will be here in under an hour at a landing field about 20 miles south of Central City.”

Felicity was stunned.  This was happening.  After five long years, her plan to bring down Lucas was about to be set in motion.   Her heart sped up in anticipation.  She quickly sent a text with instructions to a friend she worked with over the years.  She was going to need back up with what she had planned.

“We need to access to those servers.  And unfortunately, that can’t be done remotely.  I need to  they have to be accessed in person.  With Diggle going after Lawton, you need to go back to Starling City and do what it is you do,” Felicity stopped as Oliver started shaking his head.  “What?”

“You’re not going alone,” Oliver said.  Felicity rolled her eyes.

“Oliver, I’ve been doing this for five years and have done similar ops before.  I have a solid plan and will have the support I need.  You are going to Starling City to help the police secure the safety of the people in The Glades.” 

Oliver shook his head again, and gave Diggle a look as if to say will you please talk to her.

“Felicity, Oliver’s right.  It’s too dangerous for you to go alone and I think the police have the situation in Starling City well in hand.”

Felicity gave the two of them an incredulous look.    First, she wasn’t stupid.  She wasn’t going alone, she had a team she was about to call on.  Second, were they really going to dance around more secrets?  She found she was more amused than irritated; respecting that it had only been two days since they had come together.  She couldn’t expect them to reveal everything they had been doing while she was gone.  They hadn’t even scratched the surface with her activities.  Hands on her hips, she gave both men one of her patented exasperated looks.

“Look, I can handle myself. I’ve been getting in and out of buildings for the last five years without the two of you.  And as for Starling City needing Oliver’s help….do you really think I don’t know what you’ve been up to with that bow and arrow since I left?”

Silence.  Diggle tried to cover a laugh with a cough but then just gave up.  Lyla grinned.  Oliver looked discomfited at first before giving Felicity a sheepish look.

“How’d you know?”

“It wasn’t that hard to put together after a few news reports of a vigilante in Starling City filtered their way to me.  I recognized the description from a conversation we once had years ago.  Two and two equal four…yada, yada, yada.”  Felicity waved her hand to make her point. Lyla snorted.

“It doesn’t change the fact that you going alone to wherever it is Lucas houses his servers is too dangerous,” Oliver said, his features settling into familiar stubborn lines.   “Like you said to Palmer, you’re safe now than you have been for five years.  I don’t want to risk Lucas finding you again.”

It wasn’t the danger, Felicity thought suddenly, it was the idea of her being out of sight.  She moved closer to Oliver and for the first time, she initiated contact, taking his hand.  That’s one, he thought.

“Diggle goes for Lawton…we may actually need Lawton and it would be good if we had him in custody.…you go to Starling City, and I’ll hit three of the servers.  I’ll meet you in Starling City.  I promise.”

“And the fourth server?” Oliver queried.

“It’s in Starling City,” Felicity replied, “I’m sorry, Oliver, but it’s at QC and I’m pretty sure I installed it when I worked for Viperadae.”

Oliver merely nodded, no longer surprised at anything his father was involved in.  He looked down at his and Felicity’s clasped hands and wondered if she noticed that her thumb was rubbing circles over the top of his hand.  It killed him, absolutely killed him to just even think about her going off alone.  But she was right. The city needed him and he had to trust that Felicity knew what she was doing.  

=========================

Oliver stood in the hangar at the small A.R.G.U.S. air strip, watching the plane come in for a landing.  Felicity had spent much of the last hour on her phone, either texting or engaging in cryptic phone conversations.  Diggle and Lyla had already left to pick up Lawton, while a car stood ready to whisk Oliver back to Starling City.  As the plane came to a stop on the tarmac, Felicity ended another call.  They stood side-by-side in silence as crew members from inside the plane opened the door to meet the stairs being rolled into place.  They watched as a fuel truck drove out to the plane. 

“I still don’t like the idea of you going alone,” Oliver said with concern.  Felicity stirred at his voice.

“Hmm…oh, sorry, Oliver. I meant to explain.  I’m not going alone.  I’m taking a member of my Central City team,” Felicity said, turning to face him.  As she spoke, another car pulled up.  A figure jumped out of the passenger seat and unloaded a few large cases from the trunk, setting them to the side on the tarmac.  After exchanging a few words with the driver, the car pulled away, and the other figure walked towards them, carrying a back-pack and a duffel.

“Got here as quick as I could, Felicity.  Of course, I forgot to repack some of my gear and then had to stop at the precinct to grab some extra stuff.  Then I forgot your go-bag," indicating the duffel bag he still carried, "and what exactly do you have in this thing?  The very definition of a go-bag is something light and easy to carry.  Anyway, I had to run back to my place to grab it.”  The man, or boy as he appeared to Oliver, placed the duffel bag on the ground, sighing in relief.   Turning to Oliver, he smiled and held out a hand.

“Hi, I’m Barry Allen.”

“Oliver Queen.”

Force of habit had Oliver reaching out and shaking Barry’s hand.  He watched as Barry turned back to Felicity to pull her into a hug. A hug, Oliver noted Felicity sank into as comfortably as a pair of well-worn shoes.   He kept his expression carefully blank as Felicity drew back, kissing Barry on the cheek.

“Barry.  Thank you.  I hope this last minute trip didn’t cause too many problems with Joe or your job at the precinct.”

“Not at all.  I had some vacation days to burn.”  He brushed a finger across her cheek and Oliver just barely kept himself from smacking Barry’s hand off Felicity’s soft skin. Jesus, he was acting like a prepubescent fool.  Of course Felicity had a team.  He just didn’t expect, well hell, he wasn’t sure what he expected but one thing he was certain of, he hadn’t expected the disturbing sensation in his gut at the idea of Felicity working with another team. That included this boy. That touched her so freely.  At whose place she kept a go-bag. Because she probably spent nights there whenever she was in Central City.   _Get a grip_ , he ordered himself.  Assuring himself that it had nothing to do with the fact that Felicity was about to head off across the world with a boy that gazed at her adoringly, Oliver decided he needed to have a private conversation with her.   _You’re only fooling yourself_ , a voice whispered in his head,  _it has everything to do with the fact that she is about to get on a plane with Barry Allen_ .

“Felicity, can I speak with you a moment? Alone.” Oliver took her arm and led her away, giving Barry a less than friendly look.  Rubbing a nervous hand across the back of his neck, Barry moved over to the larger cases he left outside the hangar and began moving them towards the plane.  A member of the ground crew ran over to help.

“You can’t be serious, Felicity.”

“What?” she asked, genuinely confused.

“This kid can’t protect you.  He looks like a good wind would knock him over.”

Felicity huffed and then shushed him.  She looked over her shoulder, making sure Barry was out of earshot.

“What is wrong with you?  First, he’s not a kid. He’s my age, and second, he’s stronger than he looks and wait, why the hell am I defending Barry to you?”

“This is Lucas Hunt, Felicity,” Oliver responded, ignoring everything Felicity just said. “You know just how dangerous he is, what he’s capable of.”

“Oliver, I know exactly what I’m up against. And so does Barry.  We’ve worked together many times over the last several years on ops very similar to this one.  I trust him implicitly.”

Oliver shifted, unreasonably jealous at the very real awareness he had that Felicity and Barry had probably once been something more than friends.  Maybe they still were.  Five years was a long time and Oliver couldn’t exactly claim to have been a monk in the last five years.  Felicity raised a brow, knowing exactly what he was thinking.  He smiled sheepishly at her.  She rolled her eyes in response.

“I just…” Oliver stopped and thought carefully before continuing. “I just want you to be safe.  I don’t care about the virus, I don’t care that you could hack your way into Fort Knox or that you’ve probably already redesigned Diggle and Lyla’s security system to better protect Sarah. I don’t care about what you can do, what you are capable of.  I care about you. I care that you are safe.”

Felicity’s eyes softened at Oliver’s words, how they reflected just how well he knew,  _knows_ , her.  Glancing over her shoulder, Felicity saw that Barry was getting on the plane.  It was time to go.  Turning back to Oliver, she laid a reassuring hand on his arm.  That’s two, Oliver noted.

“I’ll be fine, Oliver. I promise.   Nothing is going to happen.  But, I promise you, if it becomes riskier than what I’m accustomed to, I will not make a move before talking to you first.”   Patting his arm in a reassuring fashion, Felicity headed for the plane.

Oliver stared down at his arm.  She just patted him like a younger sister reassuring an over-protective older brother.  Oliver watched her walk away for two solid seconds before he walked after her.   _Dammit_ , he thought,  _goddammit_ .  His hand closed around her arm and he turned her towards him.

“Wha—”  The rest of her words were lost as Oliver covered her mouth with his own.  His hands lifted to cradle her head, tilting her head back, angling it to his satisfaction as he slanted his lips over hers, his tongue licking at the seam of her lips.  She gasped at the sensation and Oliver took advantage, dipping his tongue inside, tasting, licking, nearly groaning when her tongue tangled with his.  A small whimper escaped her as he nipped at her bottom lip before settling his mouth over hers again.  She rubbed her tongue against his and this time he did groan.  Oliver slowly pulled back; dipping his head once more, softly caressing her lips with his before ending their kiss.  He gazed down at her, and waited for her to look at him.  Felicity slowly opened her eyes, and found that at some point she had grasped his forearms and was holding them tightly.  Dazed, she tried to think of something, anything, to say.  Her mind failing her, she stared at him wordlessly.

“Something for us to talk about when you return,” was all he said, before spinning around towards the car waiting on him.  Felicity stood on shaky legs, watching as the car drove away.  Pressing her fingers to her lips, she turned to board the plane only to find Barry leaning against the doorway an amused grin on his face.

“Not a word,” she said, “Not. A. Word.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected dinner and an apology.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the comments after the last chapter. I was stunned at how much some of you enjoyed the story. The comments made my morning, day, and night. So thank you!

_Seven Years Earlier_

Oliver walked into the Foundry, hoping to find Diggle inside. He was frustrated with the lack of progress made on tracking how his father was using the money from H.I.V.E.  He knew he had only himself to blame since Felicity was essentially working with one hand tied behind her back, but it had been two months since the accounts were confirmed to belong to Robert Queen. He needed to hit something and right now, sparring with that tank was just what he needed. As soon as he saw Diggle, already dressed to spar, he started to strip of his shirt.

“Good, you’re here. I need to hit something and you’ll do,” Oliver grumbled. Diggle gave him a smirk.

“You may want to spar with the heavy bag if you want contact. Otherwise, give it your best shot.”

Oliver glared, but didn’t deny that it would be a struggle to get a solid hit while sparring with Diggle which is exactly what he wanted. He walked away to change from his jeans into sweats. He wondered if Felicity was coming in tonight and the idea that he wouldn’t see her again for the fifth night in a row, not that he was keeping track or anything, soured his mood even further. Since their falling out…..no, Oliver admitted, since being such a dick to her, Felicity developed this uncanny ability to avoid being at the Foundry whenever he was unless she was assisting with a mission for A.R.G.U.S.   He knew Diggle saw her nearly every day and that they often met for coffee in the mornings. But with him, she was perfunctory and, God help him, professional. Like an employee, he thought, and winced. He owed her an apology and as that was something he was never very good at – Oliver Queen _did not_ apologize – he wasn’t sure how to approach it.

Diggle and Oliver moved over to the mat and the Foundry was soon filled with the grunts of two men beating the ever-loving crap out of each other. Oliver flipped Diggle over and pinned him to the mat only to find himself face down, Diggle’s knee pressing into his spine. Diggle jumped back to his feet and crouched into a stance. Oliver scrambled up, and they began to circle each other.

“You owe her an apology,” Diggle panted, his focus on Oliver. Oliver jabbed out with his right fist, using his left to upper cut at Diggle’s ribs, pulling the punch before it landed.

“I know,” Oliver gritted out from where Diggle had spun him into a headlock. Throwing an elbow and then a hand to the throat, both pulled, Oliver faced Diggle again.

“And you need to tell her about Lucas,” Diggle said, as he swept his legs across Oliver’s feet, spilling him to the ground and then pinning him again, this time with Oliver’s arm pulled up high on his back. Oliver growled, and hit the mat in defeat.

“What purpose does that serve?” Oliver said, sitting on his heels.

“Seriously, Oliver? What purpose does it serve to not tell her?” Diggle loomed over him, hands crossed across his bare chest.

“Tell who what?”

Both men turned as Felicity walked into the Foundry. Surprised to see her, Oliver scrambled to his feet, throwing Diggle a look.

“Hey,” he said, absurdly happy to see her. She gave them both a distracted smile, making a beeline for her computer station.

“I’m glad you’re both here. Saves time and I don’t have a lot of time.” Felicity began pulling up her systems, waking the computers from their sleep. She peeked over at Oliver from the corner of her eye and nearly sighed aloud. Shirtless Oliver Queen was devastating to the sense. His chest gleamed in the low lights of the Foundry, every ripple of his abs just begging her to run her fingers over them until they reached the dip at the waist band of his sweats. Sweats that were hanging dangerously low. Swallowing hard, she busied herself with accessing the data that she received an alert for on her phone.

“I received an alert on one of the accounts,” she said, her fingers flying over the keyboard. Both men walked over, and Felicity silently mourned as Oliver pulled a white t-shirt over his chest.

“About twenty minutes ago, money was transferred from the account to another. I traced the second account to Starling National, opened by a,” Felicity paused as scrolled through the information on the monitor, “Isabel Rochev.” She jotted down some information on a pad of paper.

“I need an –” before Oliver could finish his sentence, Felicity’s hand came flying up with a sheet of paper in her hand.

“Address associated with the account. Pretty posh address. The money didn’t stay long, it moved quickly to an unnumbered account that I’m currently running a trace on. I’m also running a background check on this Isabel Rochev, should have something in a few hours.” Felicity stood up, grabbed her bag and started back out of the Foundry.

“Gotta run. I’m already late,” Felicity said in farewell, and headed for the hidden entrance to the Foundry.

“Hot date?” Oliver asked before he could stop himself. She paused and then threw a look over her shoulder, her normally expressive eyes shuttered.

“Something like that,” was all she said and then she was gone. Oliver stared after her, while Diggle stared at Oliver. Shaking his head, Diggle began pulling on his own t-shirt.

“It’s hard to be the only grown-up down here,” he muttered. Oliver didn’t reply, just stood there absently smacking the paper against his hand, staring after Felicity.

“We chasing that down tonight?” asked Diggle, eyeing the sheet of paper in Oliver’s hand.

“Hmm? No, let’s see where the money went afterwards and what we can find on Isabel Rochev. Does that name sound familiar to you?”

Oliver moved back into the Foundry, pulling his bow from its case. Grabbing a canister of tennis balls, he moved over to the front of the Foundry, behind the salmon ladder.

“No. Could it be one of your father’s affairs?” Diggle asked.

Oliver shrugged. “Could be. Let’s see what Felicity’s background check reveals. We need to start treading very carefully. We are so close to Lucas and that virus, I can feel it.”

“Speaking of the virus, how are you going to get Felicity to start hunting that down without telling her what you’re looking for?”

“Who says we need Felicity to hunt it down? Why not just keep our sights on Lucas?” Oliver opened the canister of tennis balls, and then focused on the area in front of him.

“Because Lucas is actively looking for it and we need to find it first. We’ve only seen a glimpse of what it can do, but that was enough for me to know that it needs to be destroyed before it is lost in Lucas’ clutches, or A.R.G.U.S.’ for that matter.”

Oliver didn’t respond, instead he took the canister, and threw all three tennis balls high into the air. Before the balls fell, they were all pinned to the wall by three arrows. Diggle whistled in appreciation.

“Nice. Where’d you learn that trick?”

Oliver only smiled, opening another canister of tennis balls. After a few minutes of watching, Diggle began inventorying the weapons cabinet, making sure everything was ready for their next job.   About an hour later, Oliver lowered his bow, and studied the tennis balls now decorating the back wall of the Foundry. Putting his bow down, he turned to Diggle.

Hungry?” At Diggle’s nod, Oliver grabbed his keys. “Big Belly Burger?”

“Sounds good,” Diggle agreed and began racking and stacking the guns in their cases.

======================

Felicity sat across from Cooper at Big Belly Burger wondering for the hundredth time what possessed her to agree to meet him for dinner. As she looked at him from beneath her lashes, she tried to find whatever it was that attracted her to him in the first place. There was a slyness to his expression that she had never noticed, a sulkiness to his mouth that gave him a weak appearance. Of course, in comparison to Oliver, everyone appeared weak. Felicity mentally chastised herself for comparing Cooper to Oliver. It wasn’t fair to Cooper….or any man for that matter. She really, _really_ needed to consider dating. Someone other than Cooper, that is. Right now, she was curious as to what Cooper was trying to accomplish by taking a trip down memory lane. So far, they discussed old professors, places they hung out, and friends they’ve lost touch with.

“Remember that hacktivist group we joined our senior year?” Cooper asked, smiling at her. Felicity stirred, the back of her neck prickling. She shifted uncomfortably in the booth, not liking the direction this conversation was going.

“Oh yeah,” she said, forcing a laugh that sounded fake to her own ears. Cooper didn’t appear to notice. He beamed at her, as he took a drink of his soda.

“Our first experience at hacking,” he said. Felicity glanced around, but no one was paying attention.

“Not that we did much hacking,” Felicity reminded him. She had been resistant to any attempts by the group to hack, except that one time where she surpassed her own expectations.

“No, but that virus you created that one time. That was epic!” Cooper shoved a fry in his mouth, his eyes watching her carefully. Felicity didn’t like to think about that virus. In fact, she tried very hard to forget that it existed. The only copy existed in her mind, but she never let on.

“Virus?” Felicity pretended to be confused as she dipped a fry in ketchup and popped it in her mouth. It tasted like sawdust. She forced herself to chew and swallow and then pick up another fry.

“Oh, come on. You remember? We broke through some serious firewalls.” Cooper gave her a disarming smile, but his eyes were watchful.   A fry lodged in her throat, causing her to cough. Felicity took a sip of her soda, swallowing hard. The aftermath of that experience was not one she wanted to experience again. The clanging sound of the cell closing echoed in her mind. She firmly pushed it down, no one, including Cooper, ever having been the wiser that she had actually been arrested for that stunt.

“Oh yeah. Totally forgot about that. So, Coop, what have you been up to lately?” Felicity inquired, trying to change the subject. She played around with her fries, wishing she had set up a back-up plan to bail her out of what was quickly becoming a nightmare. I should have told Claire to text me a half hour in, or have Thea text with a fake computer problem, Felicity thought.

“Oh, not much. Landed a new job with a major corporation, IT department. You actually work for us.” Cooper smiled as Felicity raised a brow in question.

“I work at Queen Consolidated now,” Cooper said, pleased at having taking her by surprise.

Dear God, Felicity thought. Wiping her mouth with a napkin, she gave him a weak smile.

“That’s great, Cooper. I’m sure you’ll mesh well with the team I assembled over there.” Felicity glanced at her watch. She had been there just over an hour, long enough to make her escape and God, she wanted to escape.

“You know what would be great? Let’s really test that team and use your virus. See if they can stop it before it sweeps through QC’s firewalls.”

Felicity froze in the act of picking up another fry.  She slowly put it down and met Cooper’s eyes.

“I don’t remember that virus, Cooper. It was so long ago, I’ve forgotten the code.” Felicity tried to sound casual, but wasn’t sure she pulled it off.

“You don’t forget anything, Felicity. Mind like a steel-trap. Come on, it would really help me out. Make me look good before the team so they know I’m just as good as you.”

Felicity didn’t say anything. She looked out the window, trying to calm her racing heart. Why was Cooper hung up on her virus? She turned back to stare at Cooper, bones aching at how tensely she was holding herself. Something wasn’t right here. She groped for something to say, and was just about to abruptly end their dinner, when a shadow fell across the table. Looking up, she met Oliver’s eyes and whatever he saw had him narrowing his gaze at Cooper.

========================

Oliver walked into Big Belly Burger, his stomach rumbling. He ordered several burgers and a large basket of fries to go. As the server left to put his ticket in the window, Oliver leaned against the counter, surveying the room. To his surprise, Felicity was tucked in a booth just to his right. He could just make out her profile as she spoke to the guy sitting across from her. Oliver didn’t recognize the guy but he did recognize how tensely Felicity was holding herself. He was debating on whether to go over to say hi, when he saw a flash of panic cross her face before she turned to look out the window. When she turned back, everything in her body language shouted her discomfort. Decided, Oliver strolled over to the booth, hands in his pocket, body slouched, deceptively relaxed to anyone else in the restaurant watching them. He came right up on the table and looked down at Felicity. She looked up and he saw surprise followed by immediate relief cross her face.  Oh yeah, Felicity was not enjoying herself. Oliver turned to Cooper, fixing him with a cold, hard stare.

“Oliver,” Felicity swallowed, the relief she felt very nearly bringing her to tears. “Hey, I didn’t know you were coming here tonight. You should have told me. It’s been ages since we’ve had dinner here. Not that we have dinner together, well, we do, but not dinner, dinner, like a date dinner, but dinner as friends. With our other friends. Not that there are a lot of other friends…” Felicity knew she was babbling, but didn’t care. She was so damn relieved to see Oliver.

“Who’s this, Felicity?” Oliver asked, not looking away from Cooper.

“Who are you?” retorted Cooper, giving Oliver an equally unfriendly look. Felicity looked at Cooper in surprise.

“I thought you worked for QC, Cooper?”

“So?”

Felicity coughed, suddenly amused. “Well, this is Oliver Queen. You know, of Queen Consolidated.”

“I work directly for Robert, special projects only,” Cooper smirked. Felicity tilted her head, studying Cooper for a minute. Something wasn’t right, she thought again, but was distracted by Oliver’s low laughter. It was dark, with a dangerous edge. Oddly, her stomach started tilting at the rumble. Great, she thought, apparently I think dangerous Oliver is also hot Oliver and dear God, why am I thinking about hot Oliver right this minute?

“Aren’t you special?” remarked Oliver, his hands still tucked in his pocket. He appeared to be having a friendly conversation to the casual observer, until you saw the frigid chill in his eyes. Cooper’s smirk faded, and he attempted to be dismissive.

“Sure was nice to meet you, but if you’ll excuse us, we are on a date here.”

“No we’re not,” Felicity immediately said, “We broke up, remember? Or rather you dumped me, with a text, and stuck me with a three hundred dollar cable bill…I don’t even want to get into what that three hundred dollars covered.”

“Felicity…” Cooper started, but Oliver interrupted.

“Your ‘not date’ is over,” he said, the words coming out harsh. Oliver wanted to smash his fist into Cooper’s smug expression. Pulverize that smug smile until it disappeared into a puddle of broken teeth. Damn, Oliver thought, this guy gets under my skin.

“Hey –” Cooper began, completely oblivious to the danger he was walking into. Oliver’s eyes glinted with restrained violence.

“Oliver,” Felicity said, placing a hand on the tense muscles of his forearm. She didn’t want a scene and she knew Cooper wasn’t above making one. She saw Cooper staring at her hand on Oliver’s arm, but right now, she didn’t care what he thought.

Oliver waited a beat before turning his head to look at Felicity. There was a plea in her eyes that had his expression softening. Taking the hand of the arm she held from his pocket, he linked her fingers with his, squeezing them reassuringly. He giving her one of those slow smiles he seemed to reserve just for her. Her stomach resumed its somersaults. The man was positively lethal, Felicity thought, and he really needed to stop looking at her in that way.

“I’m glad I ran into you, Felicity. I need your help at the club. Thea is getting ready to open for that God-awful speed dating thing she is doing tonight, and the system at the club went down. She sent me a text just before I walked in.”

Felicity nodded, grateful for Oliver and his innate ability to come up with a cover story on the fly. Her relief at having an excuse to leave was clearly evident to not just Oliver, but Cooper as well, who was giving Oliver and Felicity a contemplative look.

“Of course, I’ll come right now. Cooper, you don’t mind do you?” Felicity was already sliding out of the booth, Oliver helping her, his hand still holding hers. Cooper eyed their joint hands and the obvious way neither relinquished their hold on the other.

“How about I come and help out?” Cooper placed his napkin on the table, sliding out of the booth as well.

“No, I have this,” Felicity refused, digging into her bag for her keys.

“Are you sure…” Cooper abruptly stopped speaking as Oliver took a step closer to him.

“She has this and I don’t recall asking you for help.”

Tension gathered between the three of them so thick that other patrons started to take notice. The restaurant grew quiet. From the corner of his eye, Oliver saw the server with whom he placed his order standing uncertainly by the counter, a bag in her hand. It was Felicity who spoke first, dismissing Cooper before it escalated further.

“I have this, Cooper,” she repeated. “It was nice to see you again and good luck with your new job.”

“That sounded like good-bye, Cooper. Nice to meet you,” Oliver said in a tone that said otherwise. Without breaking his hold of Felicity’s hand, he grabbed the bag from the server, passing her a twenty dollar tip. He led Felicity out of the restaurant and around the corner to the parking lot.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. Oliver felt a tremor in her hand. He squeezed it gently and pulled her closer to his side.

“Are you okay?” he asked, rubbing his thumb across the top of her hand. She nodded.

“There was just something off about him. I can’t really put my finger on it, but there was something not right,” she said, quietly. “I haven’t seen him since we broke up, but now, with him working for QC; I suppose I’ll be seeing him a bit more frequently. Especially if he really does work directly for your father.”

“You know, I’ve had several meeting this week with the IT Department and the Director for IT. They all knew me when Cooper and I dated. You would think they would mention to me that he was working for QC, especially if he is really in the IT Department.”

Oliver nodded slowly, understanding exactly what it was the Felicity was avoiding saying directly. He looked down at her, seeing the troubled expression on her face.

“I can’t just dismiss the coincidence, can I?” she asked Oliver, her voice sad. Oliver wanted to reassure her, that it was probably just a coincidence, but it would be a lie. One she would see right through. Felicity’s instincts had always been incredible, and there was no reason to doubt them now. Something was definitely odd about Cooper’s new job.

“Here,” Oliver said, changing the subject. “Give me your keys. I’ll drive you home and catch a cab back to the Foundry.”

“No, no, I need to do something. Sitting alone in my apartment will just make me overthink all of this. I’ll go with you to the Foundry and check on the background check for that woman.  Besides, I really didn't get to eat and knowing you and Diggle, I'm betting you have enough food in there for a small army.”

Oliver smiled and nodded in agreement.  He wasn't ready to lose her company just yet.  He opened the driver side door and pushed the seat back as far as it would go before he tried to slide in. He cursed and Felicity giggled, clamping a hand over her mouth. Oliver shot her a look before finally settling in behind the wheel. Less than five minutes later, Oliver pulled into the club, parking near the rear entrance. Turning off the engine, he turned to face Felicity in the small confines of the car.  

“Are you going to tell me what it was Cooper actually said to upset you?”

Felicity chewed on her bottom lip, torn between telling Oliver everything and just letting the past lie. What happened in college, the virus she created, it didn’t matter anymore.  It was in the past, and no matter what Cooper said, she would not bring it to life again. Besides, what good would it do to tell Oliver?

“It’s not important,” she said. “Cooper was being, well, Cooper.   I’d forgotten how miserable he could be. And when he told me he was working for QC, my brain just went into overdrive. Thank you for getting me out of there.”

Oliver studied her for a minute. She was hiding something, but he decided not to push. He wasn’t exactly the poster boy for being forthcoming. He told Felicity what he could, withheld what he thought he should. But even so, Felicity knew more about him than his own family. He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek and then rested his hand on her shoulder. The heat of his palm rushed through Felicity and Oliver felt the pulse in her neck increase beneath his thumb. He had the sudden desire to put his lips to her neck, to feel the beating of her heart beneath his tongue. _Fuck_ , he thought. _Fuck_! Mentally chastising himself for his wayward thoughts, he squeezed her shoulder before reluctantly removing his hand.

“Felicity, I’m sorry,” he said, “about what I said the night you discovered the accounts belonged to my father.”

Felicity lowered her gaze to hide the sudden desire she felt at Oliver’s touch. She really, really needed to go on more dates. She needed to get Oliver Queen out of her head. Yeah, because it will be _that_ easy, she thought to herself.

“We both said things we shouldn’t have that night,” she finally said, without looking at him.

“So I’m not a dick?” Oliver teased. Felicity laughed, the heaviness in the air between them lightening considerably. The intimacy of the car, the sultry tension lingered, but didn’t threaten to overwhelm Felicity. It was something she had become accustomed to feeling.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Felicity teased back. Smiling at him, she leaned forward and surprised him with a soft kiss to his cheek. “Thank you for apologizing, Oliver.”

Felicity opened the car and jumped out, taking the burgers with her. Oliver followed more slowly, his mind on the way her lips felt against the scruff on his cheek. They headed for the hidden entrance in comfortable silence.

“Wait, did you say speed dating?”

Oliver laughed at the horror in Felicity’s voice, and placing a hand at the small of her back, ushered her inside.

=================================

Cooper exited the elevator directly into the lobby of the penthouse suite at Starling City’s largest hotel. He wiped his hands nervously on his pants as the guard opened the door, motioning him inside.  Pausing in the entrance, Cooper looked around until he spied Lucas Hunt standing at the windows overlooking the city. He moved to join Lucas, stopping a few feet behind him, waiting to be addressed. During his first few days after being hired by Lucas, he quickly learned that one did not initiate a conversation with Lucas Hunt. One waited until spoken to. Lucas continued to look out across the city, hands clasped behind his back. Cooper felt a trickle of sweat roll down his back and he nervously shifted his feet. Looking toward Lucas again, he found the man looking at him in the reflection of the glass.

“From your expression,” Lucas began, “I take it things did not go well.”

“We were interrupted,” Cooper excused. Lucas stared unblinkingly at him. His expression remained impassive.

“Interrupted?”

“Oliver Queen. He interrupted our dinner,” Cooper replied. “But not before she admitted that she recalled the virus. She tried to pretend that she couldn’t remember the code, but I know she does. She was uncomfortable. Before I could press, Oliver appeared and she left with him.” Cooper kept his explanation as concise as possible, trying very hard to not sound as if he was making excuses for his failure. Excuses resulted in very unpleasant experiences.

“And why did she leave with him?”

“Something about the computer system going down at Oliver’s club. Apparently she is freelancing during her time off. I offered to help but was shut down.”

Lucas pondered Felicity’s involvement with Oliver. Since the night he saw them leaving her office to have dinner together, he had not seen them in public together. He had noted that Felicity was frequenting Verdant more often and this was a very tidy explanation to her frequent visits to the club. It tied in with the recent surge in social media use by the club. It was too tidy, though, and awfully convenient. Perhaps she was doing more than helping out with the club’s computer system and social media presence.

“Do not contact her again,” Lucas directed. “We will arrange for Robert to have her come to QC. There’s a server I need installed. When she comes to oversee the installation, you can once again approach her. Let me emphasize again on the subtle nature of this probe. Subtle, Mr. Seldon, subtle. Shall I provide you the definition?”

Cooper shook his head. Lucas lifted a hand in dismissal and Cooper nearly ran from the office. Any other time, Lucas would have been coldly amused at how easy it was to strike fear in the weak. Cooper’s approach about the virus was obvious and overt which likely set Felicity Smoak on edge. She was no fool, and this possible could set them back.

Lucas turned back to the vista, staring in the direction of Verdant. Despite the number of enticing cyber challenges he had dangled in front of her via Robert Queen, Felicity Smoak continued to find alternatives to conquering the challenges rather than resort to the ease of the virus. Lucas was be intrigued by her talent and the potential for which she could be utilized. The virus alone was a masterpiece in its execution, the potential power one could wield by using that virus, controlling it. There would be nothing anyone could deny him. Getting that virus may require his personal involvement. However, right now, the situation was complicated by what he suspected was her new arrangement with Oliver Queen. Was she working with him? Had she told him of the virus? Had he told her of his own search for the virus? What did she know of H.I.V.E. or of him? Had she created an anti-virus to combat her creation? There were too many unknown variables that needed resolution before he involved himself. He was a patient man. His eye was on the prize and he would methodically move through the phases to get to the prize, taking no risks where none were needed.

It was only a matter of time, he thought, before Felicity Smoak learned just exactly how much she owed him.

 

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity and Barry travel across the world and find themselves in a spot of trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know many authors use Google Translate when writing in a different language. I chose not to, and instead had English spoken at all times and then where dialogue wasn't really needed, indicated another language was being spoken.
> 
> I couldn't resist the fluff at the beginning of this chapter. I make no apologies!! LOL!

Felicity carefully studied the blueprints to the building where Lucas’ server was housed. It appeared pretty straight forward but Felicity wasn’t taking any chances. Lucas established three of his servers in far-flung countries, difficult to travel to but located in areas with relatively strong infrastructures. Asia and Australia were the furthest in destination, so A.R.G.U.S. had flown Felicity and Barry to Australia first. Now, cozily ensconced in a room at the Four Seasons in the famed Rocks district of Sydney, Felicity began comparing the current blueprints she hacked into the city’s planning office to obtain, and the set Barry had casually strolled in and copied from the city’s archives.   Barry’s copy was the original blueprint for when the building was first constructed. A non-descript building, mid-sized compared to the other skyscrapers in Sidney, it was a few short blocks from the Queen Victoria Building.  Aside from a small change in the dimensions of one room, the blueprints were identical. And those dimensions confirmed what Felicity already knew. Server number one was in that room. She frowned, catching another change in the blueprints. Somehow, against all building codes and regulations, Lucas had managed to seal all but one entrance to the building. That left her and Barry a single point of ingress and egress. She reached over to grab her laptop to hack into the security cameras when her phone chimed.

Picking up her phone, Felicity stared at the text from Oliver on her screen.

_Hey_

Felicity stared at the greeting for a minute before putting her phone back on the small desk. It chimed again.

_How are you?_

Felicity stood and moved away from the desk. She changed into her sleep shirt, and was brushing her teeth when her phone chimed again. She peered around the bathroom door, and stared at the desk, convinced her phone was mocking her. Walking over to the desk, she peered down at her phone, arms crossed across her middle to avoid temptation. Felicity couldn’t help the small smile that crossed her face at what she read. She could hear his voice in her mind.

Holding her tooth brush in her mouth, she picked up her phone and sent a quick reply.

_What? I’m working._

She had barely finished rinsing her mouth when his response came in. Wiping her mouth, she looked at his response, another smile spreading across her face.

_Take a break. Talk to me._

The man was seriously dangerous. Who the hell is charming over text messages? Oliver Queen. Of course, he is. He’s damn charming at pretty much everything. Not willing to cave, and because she had this perverse need to know how long she could hold out, she sent a response that should

_It’s almost midnight here. Going to bed soon._

A white lie, but he was half-way around the world. And she was going to bed, she thought, just after she hacked into the security cameras in the building.

_No you’re not. You’re probably getting ready to take a peek inside whatever building you’re targeting._

Felicity shook her head and turned the lamp off over the desk. First, what human being was so grammatically correct in text messages? And second, how did he know? She climbed into bed with her phone _and_ tablet (because she was going to look at that building from the inside) before responding.

_How on earth?_

_I know you._

It was another truth between them that she couldn’t deny. Despite the number of years apart, he still knew her better than anyone she’d met since leaving Starling City. It was one of the reasons her relationships didn’t last longer than a few months. Yeah, being on the run wasn’t very good for longevity, but apparently, being a frustrating wall of silence could kill a relationship even quicker.

_Fine. I’m in bed now, though._

She waited, somewhat disappointed when she didn’t hear back from him right away. It was Sunday on his side of the world. She wondered if he was alone and then immediately chided herself for caring. She set her phone on the bedside table and pulled over her tablet. Her phone chimed.

_What are you wearing?_

Felicity stared at her phone, mouth agape. He did not just ask her that? She rubbed her eyes and yes, he certainly did. She stared down at the old, worn t-shirt she wore, the blue so faded it was almost grey. Realizing she was blushing, she swore softly.

==============================

Oliver grinned at the sudden silence from the other end of his phone. He leaned back into the sofa, took a sip of his coffee and waited. He didn’t have long.

_Are you kidding me?_

Grinning broadly now, Oliver set his cup down and contemplated his response.

_I don’t kid. Do you have a balaclava just in case?_

Oliver waited, picturing Felicity worrying her bottom lip as she contemplated whether he was baiting her. He was; he most certainly was.

_Of course._

Laughing out loud at the perfunctory answer, he began texting another message. Before he could send it, another text from Felicity appeared.

_Oh, and I’m wearing nothing but a t-shirt that is so threadbare with age it’s a miracle it hasn’t fallen apart._

Oliver’s smile faded as his mind immediately conjured an image of Felicity in an oversized t-shirt, her long legs bare, hair tousled around her shoulders. One side slipped off her shoulder, her creamy skin just begging for his lips to caress them in the lightest of kisses. Oliver shifted on the couch, his pants suddenly uncomfortably tight. His phone, temporarily forgotten, beeped in his hand. Looking down, he saw another text from Felicity.

_You started it. Don’t think I don’t know what you meant the first time._

Oliver conceded the round to Felicity.

 _Payback is a bitch._ Hitting send, he wasn’t surprised when she immediately responded.

_And don’t you forget it._

Oliver relaxed against the couch again. Changing the topic and tone of their conversation, he sent another text.

_I can’t help but worry._

_Stop. I’ve done this before._

_I know._

Oliver sighed. Rationally, he knew that Felicity was well-established as formidable force in this business, but it didn’t change the fear he felt every time he thought of Lucas catching her at one of these sites. He would not breathe easy until she was back in Starling City. He would never think about cutting her off at the knees, but he also couldn’t temper this caveman reaction he was having to not being there to help should things go south. His phone beeped.

_I know it scares you that he might catch me. It scares me, too._

Surprised that she would admit that, something she would consider a weakness, Oliver stared at his phone, waiting.

_I also know it was hard for you to watch me get on that plane._

Oliver still didn’t respond, instinctively knowing that Felicity wasn’t done. This was unexpected. He texted her because he missed her. He didn’t want to call after their kiss at the airport because the next time he spoke to her, he wanted to be able to touch her, feel her mouth beneath his again.

_But I’m not going to get caught._

There was a pause and he sent a quick reply.

_How do you know?_

Her reply was instantaneous and it had him smiling in anticipation.

_Because we have something to talk about._

==================================

Feeling bolder than she ever had with Oliver, Felicity hit send on the last message and then settled back, snuggling into her pillows to wait. It didn’t take long.

_Yes, we do. More than that, I need to try that again only this time, I won’t be rushed by a plane waiting to take off._

Oh my, Felicity thought. The idea of slowly kissing Oliver with all the time in the world had her toes curling in anticipation. Emboldened by the relative anonymity of texting, Felicity shot back a reply.

_Then trust me. Long and slow is all the incentive I need._

She hit send, re-read her message and the double entendre sunk in. Her face bright red, she waited. Oliver didn’t disappoint.

_You’re killing me._

She smiled. _I need to sleep. Long day tomorrow._

_Good night, Felicity._

_Good night, Oliver._

Felicity put her phone on the charging pad, eyed her tablet and then pushed it away, pulling the covers up to her chin. She was smiling as she fell asleep and for the first time in nearly five years, her dreams remained bright.

===================

The incursion into the building housing Lucas’ server went like clockwork. Felicity planted the Trojan and added hardware so complicated and so sophisticated that it was virtually invisible to anyone that wasn’t, well, Felicity. This hardware would allow Felicity to remote in undetectable unless someone was looking for her. But she had another program to deal with that issue and she wasn’t going live on the servers until the last possible minute.

Due to an unexpected problem with their landing site in Asia, they flew to Europe first and spent exactly 14 hours in Luxembourg. Again, Felicity and Barry encountered no major problems and the job was successful. They flew back east for the last site and that’s when things began to unravel. It was Russia, the least stable location for a server, and the one location where Felicity’s contacts were non-existent. Problems began when customs appeared at the private air strip A.R.G.U.S. had landed at just outside of Moscow. Felicity had stared in surprise as agents surrounded the plane. Barry was equally confused.

“I thought avoiding these guys was the point of the top secret plane that I will promptly forget about when I get home,” Barry remarked, staring in fascination as the pilot and one of the agents began yelling at each other in Russian.

“Barry, do you speak Russian by any chance?”

“Nope.”

The pilot laid into the agent one more time, before boarding the plane.

“I apologize, Miss Smoak, but apparently the arrangement A.R.G.U.S. had with the owner of the airstrip appears to have been dissolved,” said the pilot. “Apparently, there is an issue of non-payment.”

“Can I pay them?” Felicity asked, ready to do just that.

“Unfortunately, no. There are a few other issues the owner is having with A.R.G.U.S. and until he is able to meet face-to-face with either Ms. Waller or Ms. Michaels, in person, he is cutting ties. I think this may have to do with a prison break that occurred here about three months ago. They believe A.R.U.S. was involved.”

Felicity didn’t doubt that A.R.G.U.S. was involved but apparently she was the one who had to pay the price.

“I’m guessing that previous issue with the airstrip wasn’t as resolved as A.R.G.U.S. would like to think,” Felicity remarked, and the pilot had the grace to flush.

After enduring a four hour search of the plane, their belongings, and the technology that she and Barry were bringing for a “business presentation” for a potential client, it was the idea of losing her tablet that had Felicity losing her patience. Felicity stood there in stunned disbelief as the customs agent told her they were going to confiscate her tablet as well as the additional equipment that Barry had brought. When she asked why, she was told it was “procedure, you understand.” Felicity knew without a doubt that their equipment would just end up on the black market.

“No,” she refused, tugging her tablet from the man and putting it in her bag. She stood in front of the cases holding Barry’s equipment. A steady stream of Russian came her way and she just held up a hand in a stopping motion.

“I don’t speak Russian and I know you speak English,” she said, refusing to back down.

“Miss Smoak, please,” the pilot whispered urgently in her ear. She shook her head, holding her ground.

“You have kept me waiting for hours while you searched the plane, my belongings, and my colleague’s belongings not once, but twice. I’ve missed my meeting and was prevented from calling to rearrange that meeting by you and your men. You’ve cost me close to half a million American dollars and potentially one client who is going to be so pissed off when he hears why I was late that you are going to be forever looking over your shoulder when I tell him who and why I was delayed.”

The customs agent remained unimpressed. He even laughed.

“This client? You say is so important. Who is, then? Who will strike such fear in me?” the man asked.  

“Anatoly Knyasez. A connection that was made for me by Oliver Queen,” Felicity responded promptly, mentally cringing and crossing her fingers that no one would call Anatoly Knyasez. She heard a groan from the pilot, but stayed focused on the customs agent. It was a name she heard before, from Oliver, and she knew he was an important figure in the Bratva. As she had stayed away from this part of the world in order to avoid potentially running into Oliver, she never had any dealings with him or anyone else in the Bratva. This was a huge gamble. Without an opportunity to talk to Oliver first, she was setting a string of events into motion that she would not be able to fully control.

That gamble was how she and Barry found themselves as “guests” of Anatoly Knyasez an hour after she dropped his name. The customs agent had smiled, waved to his men to load their belongings into one of the SUVs and then proceeded to give her and Barry a ride straight to Anatoly’s home. Felicity realized at that moment, these men were in Anatoly’s pocket.  Felicity paced back and forth in a room that she thought just might be a library, based on the wall to ceiling bookshelves that Barry was currently exploring, working on a solution to getting her and Barry out of Anatoly’s home and back on track. She had no experience with the Bratva. None. This could very well come crashing down on her and Barry.

“Relax, Felicity. You’ll talk us out of this, you always do.”

Felicity gave Barry a distracted smile. She wasn’t so sure this time. She dropped the name of a man with whom she had no connection other than Oliver. She had no way of calling Oliver since both her phone and Barry’s were taken from them before they were driven to the Anatoly’s compound. She only hoped the pilot that was permitted to leave had immediately called Lyla to give her an update.

“Ah, so this is the lovely woman who claims to have business with me,” a gregarious voice exclaimed from the doorway. Felicity whirled and stared at the man known as Anatoly Knyasez. While small in stature, he exuded power so much so that Felicity could feel it crawling on her skin. She suppressed a shudder and strode forward, hand outstretched. Barry stood to the side, remaining silent.

“Mr. Knyasez, forgive me. My business in Moscow is highly sensitive and I shamefully trespassed on your friendship with Oliver Queen in the hopes of quickly resolving an unexpected situation.”

Anatoly sized Felicity up as he took her hand. Instead of shaking it, he gallantly brought it to his lips and brushed his lips over her knuckles. She gave him a simple, professional smile that betrayed nothing as she withdrew her hand. Anatoly looked at Barry and nodded before turning his attention back to Felicity.

“You are here on A.R.G.U.S. business, yes? It was their plane that landed at my strip.”

Dammit, thought Felicity. Why didn’t the pilot tell her that vital piece of information? She smiled again, shaking her head in denial.

“Absolutely not. A.R.G.U.S. owed me a favor. Use of their plane, no questions asked, was payment.”

“I see. And the use of my name was needed for what reason?”

“Your man decided he wanted my tablet and the equipment I brought for business demonstration. I decided he could not have it.”

Felicity held her breath, waiting. Anatoly threw his head back and laughed.

“I like you, Miss Smoak. You have as you say in America, balls.”

Felicity smiled politely but refrained from commenting. He wasn’t going to let them go, she thought.

“And how do you know Mr. Queen?” Anatoly asked.

“Business associates. We’ve known each other for many years.”

“Really? Yet, I know nothing of you Miss Smoak. I see Oliver many times a year, yet not once does he mention a business associate of such beauty.”

Felicity smiled at the compliment, but her insides were churning.

“Oliver has many women in his life,” she began but Anatoly was shaking his head.

“No, no. I know Oliver Queen. He is brother.”

Felicity fell silent and then tried another tactic. Perhaps the truth would actually work.

“My association with Oliver was never public. I helped him from the shadows. My work keeps me behind a computer.”

Anatoly studied her for a minute, his expression inscrutable. He gave a dramatic sigh and held his hands up in supplication.

“Unfortunately, Oliver is unreachable at the moment to confirm your association with him. Until I can reach him, I will enjoy having you as my guest. Sonya will show you to your rooms. I’m sure you must be tired after such a long journey.”

“You’re very kind, but I would hate to intrude any more than I have on your hospitality. We have reservations at a hotel in Moscow,” Felicity smiled, hiding her agitation at Oliver’s sudden unavailability. Where the hell was he?

“It is no trouble, and I insist.”

Barry stirred and Felicity shot him a look over her shoulder. She met Anatoly’s eyes evenly.

“Exactly how long may we intrude on your hospitality?”

Anatoly smiled, hearing the question she was not asking directly.

“If I cannot reach Oliver by tomorrow evening, I will personally escort you to the airport in Moscow where I will ensure your seats on the first flight back to America.”

Felicity arched a brow, surprised, yet relieved at the same time.

“You are too kind. In the meantime, my phone? Tablet?” “To be returned to you once you are on the plane.”

Disappointed, but not surprised, Felicity nodded again. Anatoly turned to leave, giving orders to a maid who appeared at the doorway.

Felicity and Barry followed the maid upstairs, talking in whispers as they went.

“What are we going to do, Felicity?” Barry asked.

“Wait it out. The worst that happens is we get flown back to the states and have to turn around and come back.”

“Wonder why they can’t reach Oliver.”

“No idea. Wish I had my phone, tablet, something.”

Barry rested a comforting hand on Felicity’s shoulder. “At least we are not in the Gulag.”

Felicity smiled, glancing at her watch. It was just after four in Russia which meant it was just after seven in the morning in Starling City. Where the hell was Oliver?

The maid indicated a room to Felicity. Telling Barry she would see him at dinner, she walked into the room shutting it behind her. Slumping against the door, she looked unseeingly at the opulent splendor of the room.

_Where are you Oliver?_

=============================

It was close to two in the morning and Felicity’s eyes burned from lack of sleep. She sat in a window seat overlooking the front drive of Anatoly’s compound. Snow gleamed and sparkled under the full moon setting an icy stage for the dancing shadows of the bare tree branches that swayed in rhythm to the wind. Under other circumstances, she would have found this frozen landscape beautiful. But it was her prison right now, and she could not relax. Earlier, when she left her room for dinner with Anatoly, she found a guard standing outside her door. The man that was bigger than any other man she had ever seen, including John, smiled and indicated with his arm that she should follow him. The same man escorted her back to her room after her failed attempt to eat. Once inside, Felicity saw the shadow of his feet set themselves firmly in front of her door.

Felicity attempted to sleep, but found she could not relax. Instead, she remained fully dressed in jeans, boots and a thick, emerald green turtleneck sweater. Hair swept up into a high pony, Felicity sat with her knees drawn up, forehead leaning against the cold glass, wondering for the millionth time where Oliver was. She watched idly as another car drove through the gates and disappeared under the portico of the front door.   There was a never ending stream of traffic that came and went. She began to consider the idea of her and Barry hiding in the trunk of one of the vehicles to get out. Of course, they would have to find a way to lose their guards. And get out of the house.

She was starting to doze as another car came through and disappeared under the portico. She jumped at the sudden crash of the front doors opening and shouting. Standing, wondering if Anatoly was under attack, she looked around the room for anything that could be used as a weapon. There was more shouting in Russian. Pressing her ear against the door, she heard what sounded like a fist meeting someone’s face and then more shouting. Finally, she heard Anatoly’s voice. There was silence and then someone shouted her name.

“Felicity!”

Eyes widening at Oliver’s voice, feeling relief sweep over, she yanked open the bedroom door, only to be met by the very broad chest of her guard. She pushed at his chest, but he didn’t move.

“Felicity!” came Oliver’s voice, the menace in his tone making Felicity more frantic.

“Get out of the way, you idiot, before he hurts someone,” she said, pushing harder. He didn’t budge. She finally kneed him in the crotch and lo and behold, the man crumpled like an accordion. When would guards learn to wear a cup? Anyone would go for the groin in the face of someone they couldn’t physically overpower. Worked like a charm every damn time. Felicity took off running down the hall. Skidding to a stop on the landing, she took in the situation quickly.

Anatoly was pushed up against the wall, Oliver’s hand around his throat and a gun pointed over at Anatoly’s men. _Dear God, he had a gun_ , Felicity thought. Oliver never used guns. Diggle was also there, with two guns out, both aimed at Anatoly’s men. There were two more men knocked out cold by the front door. Anatoly stood very still. He was saying something in Russian, but Oliver wasn’t listening. Felicity ran down the stairs.

“Oliver,” she called breathlessly. “Oliver, I’m okay. I’m right here. I’m okay.” Felicity skidded on the last step, and came around. Nodding at Diggle who motioned to Oliver with his head, Felicity slowly ducked under the arm holding the gun and stepped between Oliver and Anatoly.

“Oliver, I’m right here. I’m okay.” She touched the arm holding Anatoly in place. Blue eyes, icy in their fury, moved to her face. She saw a fracture in the ice as he registered her appearance. Oliver looked over her head at Anatoly and let him go. Anatoly said something in Russian and Oliver nodded. Anatoly stepped away and motioned to his men to disappear.   Diggle put his guns away and took the one Oliver held out to him, placing it in his should harness.

“Oliver, my friend, so glad you could join us. I think a little vodka is in order,” Anatoly wryly said, rubbing his throat. Felicity glanced back and saw Barry, also fully dressed, at the top of the stairs, ready to come down. She shook her head and he nodded, retreating back to his room.

Anatoly already had four shots of vodka poured into chilled shot glasses. Handing them out, he raised his glass in salute and tossed his back. Felicity raised the glass to her lips but when Anatoly turned his back, she dumped it into a nearby plant. Oliver noticed, his lips quirking at the corner. He clutched her hand tighter and she squeezed back reassuringly.

“What the fuck, Anatoly?”

“What the fuck? You don’t come, how do you Americans say? Ah, yes, storming into my home, and question me. You’re lucky I don’t have you thrown into the gulag to cool off, Oliver. I’ve done it before, don’t think I won’t do it again,” Anatoly fired back.

“She invoked my name. We had a deal.”

“Your passion for your woman is admirable, Oliver. It’s very Russian. But when someone flies into my territory on an A.R.G.U.S. plane and invokes your name and mine? That requires verification. An A.R.G.U.S. plane, Oliver! You know how I feel for A.R.G.U.S.”

“I don’t recall receiving any phone calls,” Oliver said, very softly.

“Well, she is very beautiful…” Anatoly laughed at the expression on Oliver’s face. “You need another vodka, Oliver. I joke.”

Anatoly poured another round of shots. This time Felicity didn’t bother being subtle about not drinking the shot. She just handed it to Oliver who took it for her.

“You do not like my vodka?” Anatoly asked.

“No disrespect intended. I just figured that I would need a clear head to deal with you,” Felicity responded honestly. Anatoly laughed again.

“She has spunk, Oliver. I like her. I tried to call you many times. I was going to try again in the morning. And if I couldn’t reach you, well then…” Anatoly shrugged nonchalantly, but his demeanor was deadly serious. A low rumble came from Oliver. Diggle stepped in, pulling his phone from his pocket.

“We were probably already in the air, Oliver. We were in the air in less than hour after receiving the call from A.R.G.U.S. and I haven’t turned on my phone since landing. You?”

Oliver pulled his phone out, but there were no missed calls. He continued to stare Anatoly down.

“Who did you set to call me?”

“My man with customs,” said Anatoly, and his expression relaxed as understanding dawned. “Ah, Miss Smoak. He really did want your tablet.”

“You should have called me yourself,” Oliver pointed out.

“A misunderstanding. He seemed eager to make amends. I shall deal with him accordingly,” Anatoly offered, his hands held out in a gesture of peace. But Felicity wasn’t fooled. There was a glint in Anatoly’s eyes that said his friendship could only be pushed so far. She stepped forward.

“Anatoly, may I have a minute with Oliver?”

After a moment, he nodded. Felicity turned to Diggle, and he stood from where he was perching on the arm of a couch.

“Anatoly, it’s been months since I’ve been here. Perhaps you could show me what changes you’ve made in your armory. I still envy you the private gun range.”

Grinning broadly at Diggle, Anatoly slapped him on the back and they left the library together. In the sudden silence, Felicity turned to Oliver, pulling her hand from his. Before he could protest, she stepped into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head on his shoulders. In seconds, his arms were around her, his forehead on her shoulder.

“What happened?” he asked, not moving.

“Custom agents at the airstrip. A.R.G.U.S. landed at one of Anatoly’s airstrips and the agents were his men. I didn’t know that when I threw his name out trying to get my equipment back.”

Oliver gave a slight laugh. “Someone tried to take your tech? Dangerous.”

Felicity gave a shaky laugh and just held on tighter. “I’m okay, Oliver. Really.”

“Jesus, Felicity. Scared the shit out of me when A.R.G.U.S. said that customs had taken you. They made no mention of Anatoly. It wasn’t until I landed that learned you were here. Jesus.”

“I’m okay, Oliver. I’m okay. He never laid a hand on me.”

“He wouldn’t. Not so long as he wasn’t sure you didn’t have any connection with me.”

“No, he was going to take me to the Moscow airport tomorrow if he couldn’t reach you. He said…” Felicity stopped and pulled back to look up at Oliver. She suddenly realized that they would never have made it to the airport. Oliver nodded as he saw comprehension cross her face. Her head fell forward onto his chest, and she shuddered at the very real danger she had been in.

“Shit. How did I miss that?” she mused aloud. “How did I miss that? I know better.”

“How much have you worked with the Bratva over the years?” Oliver asked.

“Not at all,” she admitted.

“They operate under a set of rules that is constantly shifting. If he had hurt you, I would have had to kill him to maintain my standing.”

“God, Oliver. I’m so sorry.”

“No….don’t be sorry. Don’t you know, Felicity, that when it comes to you, there is no choice to make?”

Felicity stared up at him, her traitorous heart leaping at his words. The fierceness in his gaze drew her in, his expression unwavering in its commitment to her. There remained so much left unsaid between them but Felicity was unsure of how much that mattered anymore. She could spend the rest of her life searching and she would never love another as much as she did Oliver.

“After all this time,” she whispered, moving a step closer. His arm came around her again, his hand slipping beneath her sweater tolay against her back, bringing her even closer. Cupping her cheek with his other hand, he rested his forehead against hers.

“Always,” he answered. They stood in the quiet until the sounds of Anatoly and Diggle returning had them reluctantly pulling apart. This time, however, Felicity didn’t move away. She remained close to Oliver’s side, her body aligned with his. Diggle raised an eyebrow, a gleam in his eye. Anatoly stared at them and then opened his arms to clasp them both on the shoulders.

“So, my friends, what’s the job and how can I help?”

==============================================

Turned out Anatoly was very familiar with the building. It was his building. Felicity was initially concerned that Anatoly was one of Lucas’ men, but once he heard who was renting the space from him, his features had gone granite hard. It was because of Lucas that Anatoly had found himself in a very precarious situation from which Oliver rescued him. Neither man would go into detail, but their expressions, the looks they exchanged, gave Felicity every indication that whatever experience they shared was the basis of this odd friendship and that Lucas was as much Anatoly’s enemy as Oliver’s.

After their auspicious beginning in Russia, the job turned out to be far easier than Barry and Felicity could ever have expected. They sailed into the building, and sailed right back out without incident. It was so easy that Felicity worried some security camera had picked up their presence. But true to his word, Anatoly arranged for every security camera in the vicinity of the building and in the building to run on a loop.

“How do you have this footage ready?” Felicity had asked.

“It’s Russia,” Anatoly shrugged.

In less than 48 hours after Oliver “stormed” Anatoly’s home looking for her, Felicity found herself on another A.R.G.U.S. jet, flying towards Starling City. She was going home. The hum of the plane lulled Felicity into a slight doze. She was vaguely aware of Barry snoring somewhere in the cabin behind her and the Oliver’s low tones as he spoke to the pilot.

“Did you ever come home while you were gone?”

Felicity opened her eyes just as Diggle slid into the seat across from her. There was no judgement in his expression, merely curiosity. Felicity nodded, remembering the one time she passed through Starling City.

“Once, just over three years ago. I was hired by a small company to, ah well that doesn’t matter. The job brought me to Starling City for a few short hours.”

“Weren’t you curious?”

Felicity smiled sadly. “I was beyond curious. But I knew that if I even took one peek, I’d be tempted to stay. I wasn’t strong enough yet.”

“Strong enough for what?”

“All of this,” she gestured around the plan, “this relentless search for evil. It was another year before I actually begun my own search for Lucas. Some of the people I had to deal with are beyond description. And then there was my own guilt at how if I had just said something, anything, Thea may have lived.”

Diggle thought back to those days, weeks, and months after Thea’s death and then Felicity’s disappearance. Oliver had been unreachable. He slipped into his playboy lifestyle, drinking, occasionally sleeping with the newest “It” girl in Starling City, and doing any job A.R.G.U.S. sent him on with a recklessness that almost cost him his life on more than one occasion.

“I almost lost him,” he said. “He slipped further and further into the darkness until I was sure I would wake one morning and find that he too was gone.”

Felicity shuddered, tears threatening.

“Then one day, he walked in to our new spaces, eyes clear. The first thing he did was start his search for you all over. The second thing he did was to begin helping the city. I had no idea what prompted this change but I fell in line because I could see my friend, my brother was coming back. It was your friend Claire that gave me a clue.”

“Claire?” Felicity asked, confused.

“She said she heard from you occasionally. And one day, as she was standing in line for coffee, she received a text from you, saying you were fine. When she turned with her order, Oliver was in line behind her. She told him she had just heard from you, and he nearly scared that poor girl to death. She showed him the text. Claire said he looked so lost, so miserable, that she then sent him a photo she had taken one night at Verdant. I’ve never seen it, but whatever that photo was, Felicity, it brought him back.”

Diggle fell silent for a minute, carefully scrutinizing Felicity’s face. There was guilt and regret etched across her features.

“I’m not telling you this for apologies or to make you feel guilty. You need to know, Felicity. Because I see what’s happening between the two of you, and it’s just like before.   So before you go any further, you need to decide, once this is over, if you are staying or leaving. Because I don’t think he’ll survive you leaving again. And honestly? I don’t think you’ll survive it either.”

Surprised, Felicity stared into Diggle’s solemn eyes. He held her gaze, serious but without condemnation. It was fair warning, and one she would take to heart. He reached over and squeezed her hand.

“I’m glad you’re back, Felicity. It was never the same without you.”

Felicity watched as Diggle moved to another seat, reclining it as far back as it would so he could sleep. He looked over at her, winked, and appeared to fall sound asleep. Oliver slid into the seat across from her.

“Are you ready to go home?” he asked. Felicity tilted her head, studying him thoughtfully. She thought of Diggle’s words.

“What picture did Claire send you?” she asked instead. Oliver hesitated for a minute but then pulled out his phone. After keying in his PIN and accessing the picture, he handed it to Felicity. It was an old picture, and based on the angle, Claire must have been quite drunk when she took it. Felicity remembered the moment the photo captured. Looking at it, so many years later, had Felicity’s breath hitching in her chest. She felt a pang in her heart as she stared at the photo. Oliver was inches from kissing her, her face turned up to his, warm and inviting. The expression on his face was tender and filled with yearning. It was incredibly intimate. Two people completely lost in each other. Two people who belonged. Without saying anything, Felicity handed Oliver his phone back. She looked out the window, feeling his gaze on her. She studied the clouds in the darkening sky. They were headed into unknown territory. This fight was Lucas was coming to its end, and for the first time in a long time, Felicity was unsure of the outcome. But she was going home. With Oliver. And right now, that was all that mattered. She turned back to him.

“I’m ready, Oliver, to go home with you.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity decides to look into H.I.V.E. regardless of Oliver's wishes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm so sorry for the delay in updating. I had so much trouble with this flashback chapter. It just did not want to connect for me. So my apologies. I hope you all enjoy.
> 
> As always, please suspend reality when reading. 
> 
> Also, my hope was to have this completed by the time Arrow premiere's. Right now, I'm playing it by ear since I don't have a great deal of time left. If I don't finish it before then, I will probably take a break from it for a few weeks while I bury myself in all things Arrow!

Six Years Earlier

“Oliver, you have some bad guys…are they bad guys, thugs, drug dealers? Or is it more PC to just refer to them as criminals? Whatever. You have four assholes on your six. They are just now crossing 8th and Forrest Avenue. Diggle, east of your location are two more. They are moving northeast, looking to head off Oliver in about two miles.” Felicity glanced again at the satellite feed she was using to track their movements. Turning to another monitor, she hacked into the city’s traffic camera system for added visual. She heard a few grunts and then silence. Waiting a minute before speaking, she checked in.

“All good, boys?” she asked, as she zeroed in on Diggle’s location.

“Affirmative,” came Diggle’s voice over her ear piece just as she accessed a traffic camera that showed him standing over two bodies. “Two ‘criminals’ down and waiting for A.R.G.U.S. to come pick them up.” 

“Copy that,” Felicity replied. She noted Oliver’s position on the satellite feed and accessed the cameras near Oliver’s location and found him surrounded by the four guys she warned him about. Poor guys, they had no idea they were about to be put down. Hard.

“Your other half is about to have a party, John, just a few short blocks northeast of you. If you hustle, you may be able to join in the fun.” She heard a short laugh from Diggle, and on the monitor, she caught Oliver’s lips quirking upwards beneath the balaclava he wore. Smiling, she screen captured the faces of the four guys. She didn’t doubt that Oliver would have them contained before Diggle even reached him. Felicity watched as two of the four went down like a sack of potatoes. What does that even mean? Felicity thought to herself, just as she caught the glint of a knife in the hand of the guy standing to Oliver’s right. 

“Knife,” was all she said, just as Oliver finished disabling the third guy and was turning towards the guy with the knife. It was enough, though, for Oliver to avoid a direct hit. Instead, the knife slipped off his right side as he jumped back and spun to his left, bringing his right leg up to kick the guy’s wrist, sending the knife flying. A single hit later, and the guy was down. Oliver bent over, resting his hands on his knees a minute before straightening with a groan.

“Are you alright?” she asked carefully. There was silence for a minute and then Oliver’s voice came over the line.

“I’m good. Just a scrape,” he said. Oliver settled over top his bike, muffling another groan just as Diggle came roaring up in the van. 

“A.R.G.U.S. on the way?” asked Oliver, a hint of pain in his voice.

“I sent a message,” replied Diggle. “Put the bike in back. I’ll drive you to the Foundry. That’s probably going to need stitches. Felicity, need you to set up the suture kit.”

“I’m fine. I’ll ride back.”

“I have A.R.G.U.S. agents three minutes out,” said Felicity. Both men copied and drove from the scene, leaving A.R.G.U.S. to clean up.

As Felicity turned from the monitor, she caught movement on the screen from the corner of her eye. Turning back, she watched as a shadowy figure stepped from the small ally between two apartment buildings. His coat was turned up at the collar, obscuring the lower half of his face. A fedora-style hat pulled low hid the rest of his features. Felicity watched as he surveyed the men on the ground, shaking his head. Taking out a gun, he shot each one in the head before turning his back and disappearing from view. Felicity jumped.

“Uh, guys? Someone just shot all four of the men Oliver took down.” Her fingers flew over the keyboard, pulling up cameras in every direction he possibly could go.

Curses came over the comms before Diggle spoke.

“Continue to the Foundry, Oliver, your injured. I’ll check it out.”

“Copy that,” Oliver replied, frustration in his voice.

“Diggle, I just did a visual on the surrounding area and it’s like he disappeared. There is no one on the streets. No one.”

“Got it, Felicity. I’ll do a quick drive through and then wait for A.R.G.U.S. This is their job, so I’ll brief them for follow up.”

“Be careful.” 

Leaving her comm unit on, Felicity began setting up the suture kit, pulling out disinfectant and the bin for disposal of used gauze or in Oliver’s case, his bloody shirt. Felicity shuddered at the sight of the needle, glad Diggle would be doing the sewing. It wouldn’t be the first time Oliver or Diggle was injured while out in the field. Over the last several months, she bandaged her share of minor cuts and scrapes, iced bruised, or wrapped a set of ribs. Felicity drew the line at needles though. A hard line with her loud voice the first time Diggle handed her a needle and a vial of pain killer. Just as she finished setting up the kit, Felicity heard someone come in through the back door. Oliver came in, hand held to his side. She jumped up, meeting him halfway. 

“I’m okay,” he assured her, as she helped him to the chair she set by the suture kit. “I want to see the video of the shooter.” 

Unzipping his jacket, he tried to take it off, wincing slightly as he leaned forward in the chair. 

“Felicity, the shooter,” he repeated, a bit impatiently.

“In a minute,” Felicity said as she moved behind him to help pull the jacket down his arms. He hissed as the zipper rubbed against his wound.

“Sorry,” she murmured, absently rubbing his shoulder. Oliver jolted in surprise at her touch as it wasn’t something she frequently did. Voluntarily touch him, that is. He and Felicity had established a fairly relaxed camaraderie. They joked, chatted easily about the mundane, and even enjoyed a drink or two up in Verdant with Thea, or dinner with Diggle at Big Belly Burger. It was a careful dance of friendship in which neither acknowledged what was slowly building between them. Felicity buried herself in work, and he…well, he did what Oliver Queen always does and took the latest “It” girl out for a night on the town. It didn’t affect how everything between him and Felicity was changing, shifting even. He tried to ignore it, but that did nothing to dampen his heightened awareness of her. At times, the tension was unbearable. Like right now, with her so close he could smell the alluring scent of her perfume and feel the heat of her body close to his. He swallowed several times. 

Felicity moved to his right side, carefully lifting his t-shirt from the wound.

“Well, it’s not as bad as I thought,” she said, “But you’ll still need stitches. Let’s get this shirt off.” Oliver just stared in fascination as she took a pair of scissors and cut his t-shirt down the middle. While he removed the rest of his shirt, Felicity soaked a gauze pad with antiseptic. She kneeled by his side, placing one cool hand just above the wound, on his rib cage, and began cleaning the cut. 

“Ow!” Oliver yelped, trying to yank back from her touch.

“Don’t be such a baby,” Felicity soothed, running her hand across his stomach in gentle caress. Oliver froze. Did she even realize what she was doing, he wondered, as she gentled him. He jumped again, the muscles in his stomach quivering as she blew on his cut after dabbing more antiseptic on it. Oliver looked towards the rear entrance, praying for Diggle to walk in, right now, before he grabbed Felicity and pulled her across his lap. It was getting harder and harder to keep his hands off of her when every inch of her beckoned to him. Mercifully, she finally moved back, placing a hand on his shoulder. Before he could stop himself, he grabbed her hand as she moved away.

“Diggle should be here soon to do the stitches,” she said, tossing the used gauze into the same bin they used when Oliver was shot. She turned to go pull up the video for him, but before she took two steps, Oliver captured her hand in his. Surprised, Felicity turned back, to find Oliver looking at her, heat blazing in his eyes. She flushed, realizing she had just fully invaded his personal space as if it were nothing. Touching him in a way she was always very careful not to do. Oh, this was dangerous, she thought. It was just so easy to be around him, to just move in sync with him, letting the intimacy that invaded whatever it was they did together to cloud her mind and forget that they were only friends. She often wondered if Oliver noticed how close to the line they both were. A noise alerted Oliver and Felicity of Diggle’s return, and by the time he walked into the main area, Felicity was at her computers, pulling up the video. 

“Two guys I left behind were also dead. A.R.G.U.S. is cleaning up as we speak.”

Diggle settled onto a stool, and snapped on a pair of latex gloves. He examined Oliver’s wound carefully. 

“Not too bad,” he said. “No more than 8 or 10 stitches.” He began readying the sutures as Felicity played the video on a loop. Diggle and Oliver watched the video go through several loops. 

“Not much to go on,” Diggle observed, turning back to Oliver’s wound.

“Do you think you can freeze each frame and separate them out?” Oliver asked, as Diggle began stitching. 

“Of course, I’ll have it for you tomorrow.” Felicity sent the file to her tablet so that she could work on it at home. One of the computers started beeping and Felicity immediately gave it her attention. 

“What is it?” Oliver asked through gritted teeth.

“I wasn’t satisfied with the information we received from A.R.G.U.S. on this job, so I fed images of these guys into a facial recognition software program. Just got a hit on one of the thugs from tonight,” another beep, “Actually, make that two!” Felicity crowed, delighted at the progress. She keyed in a few commands and began downloading the data.

“Wait, what facial recognition software program?” asked Diggle, pausing in his suturing. Felicity froze, a guilty expression coming over her face. Both Oliver and Diggle stayed silent, waiting.

“Well, I sort of hacked into the FBI’s database to use their facial recognition software since I don’t have one yet….” Felicity trailed off, bracing herself for the explosion of lectures. She studied her hands before peeking up at Diggle and Oliver. Diggle had a broad grin on his face while Oliver just stared at her, mouth open.

“You hacked into a federal law enforcement agency’s system for facial recognition software?” Oliver asked incredulously. 

Felicity raised a brow, “Is that judgement I’m hearing?”

Oliver smiled, shaking his head, “Pride.”

Felicity smiled back, before returning her focus to the screen in front of her. She frowned at what she was reading.

“Both men are on the FBI’s terrorist watch list. They are some pretty bad dude, involved in bombings, kidnappings, to mention just a few activities. I wonder….” Felicity typed in a few commands, “what they were doing in Starling City.” The computer beeped again. “Oh. Um….” 

Felicity swiveled around in her chair to face Oliver and Diggle. “According to the FBI’s records, both men, and I’m going to guess their equally dead associate, are believed to be part of an organization that we’ve all discussed before….in not so amicable ways….well, I’ve been perfectly reasonable, you two on the other hand…anyway, H.I.V.E.” 

Oliver and Diggle exchanged a look. Oliver cleared his throat. “Does it identify anything more about H.I.V.E.?”

“No, but I didn’t query beyond the facial recognition software. I could…”

“No,” Oliver said. “No. This was an A.R.G.U.S. job; let’s turn the information over to A.R.G.U.S.”

“Oliver, what if the man from the shadows is part of this organization? What if he is a key figure in H.I.V.E.? And since we know your father may have some connection to H.I.V.E….although he may not realize it since the money in those accounts came from a shell company…but still…”

“Felicity, we need to let A.R.G.U.S. handle this,” Oliver repeated. Diggle shook his head, staring down at his hands. Felicity could tell he was frustrated with Oliver as well, only he knew exactly why whereas she remained in the dark.

“Oliver…”Felicity began and then just stopped. She turned back to her computers, staring at the information. She didn’t want to argue. But neither was she going to back down. She would look into H.I.V.E. and Oliver, well, what he didn’t know couldn’t hurt him, right? 

“So why would the man in the shadows kill his own men? If they are his men?” Felicity asked, changing the subject.

Diggle gave Oliver a look that clearly said he was completely underestimating Felicity. Both suspected that it was Lucas who shot those men, and with the confirmation from Felicity that the men were part of H.I.V.E., they really couldn’t say much.

“It’s probably a message to the rest of the men that work for him. Fail me, you die.” Oliver told the lie easily, although it wasn’t quite a lie. It was not beyond the realm of reality for Lucas to kill those six men for failing in whatever task they were sent to do. In fact, it would fit his profile perfectly. Oliver wondered if A.R.G.U.S. had known these men belonged to Lucas. It may explain why they directed Oliver and Diggle to bring them in alive. 

Felicity stared at both Oliver and Diggle again, waiting for more. When it didn’t come, she sighed and changed the topic again.

“You know, while A.R.G.U.S. may have contracted you two to take those guys out, it actually benefited the city. The Glades has seen a recent surge in drug trafficking, drugs flooding the streets and making their way into the clubs. If these guys were part of the reason, you just made a nice little dent in the supply chain. Really, you two could do a lot of good even when A.R.G.U.S. hasn’t contracted you to resolve an issue.”

Both men looked at Felicity in surprise.

“What? You mean become some kind of vigilante?” Diggle asked, a frown forming between his brows.

“Why not? The Starling City police can barely keep up. There are a lot of people that need help out there and they are not getting it.”

“It’s against the law,” Diggle argued. “We can’t just go around taking people out. That would be breaking the law.”

“You do that now, with barely any top cover from A.R.G.U.S.” Felicity pointed out. 

“She has a point, John,” Oliver agreed. “Only, I’m not sure we are the right people for the job.”

“Working for A.R.G.U.S. makes us their agents. We have their authority behind us when working for them. Going out on our own…we’re answering to no one,” Diggle said.

“You would be answering to the people of this city. You were both born and raised here. You have family ties here. It’s your home as much as anyone else’s. And Oliver, your family practically founded this city. If anything, the city has done so much for you, giving something back really wouldn’t take much.”

Oliver and Diggle exchanged glances, surprised by Felicity’s impassioned speech. She held her hands up, backing down from the topic.

“Something to think about, okay? I’m not saying that Oliver should hit the streets tomorrow decked out in a hoodie and his bow and arrow a la Robin Hood. But maybe, in the future, we could help the city directly and not just inadvertently when on a job for A.R.G.U.S.”

Oliver studied Felicity’s profile as she sat at her desk. He was intrigued by her idea; the idealism behind it actually excited him. Doing something for himself, for the city that essentially raised him, rather than marching to the drumbeat set by A.R.G.U.S. , it stirred something in him that had been dormant for so long. A need to do good, to make a difference in some small way. Oliver glanced down at his phone, realizing it was almost nine. Feeling a bit guilty, he started digging through the spare clothes he kept at the Foundry.

“Shit,” he said, “I’m late.”

“Another date?” asked Diggle, smirking. Felicity suddenly found something on her monitors incredibly interesting.

“Yeah. Simone,” Oliver replied, heading for the showers. 

“Simone? What happened to Rochelle?” Felicity asked, her lips twitching in amusement. Her fingers flew across her keyboards, her focus more intent on the search she was starting.

“Rochelle? I thought it was Michelle?” Diggle deadpanned. Felicity paused, pretending to think.

“Rochelle, Michelle….something with an elle. Does it matter? Once we learn the name of one girl, he moves on to another. It’s hard to keep up.”

“Cute,” Oliver said, “really cute.” Disappearing into the bathroom, he walked out twenty minutes later in dark jeans and a grey Henley, unbuttoned at the throat. He pulled on his jacket, checked his phone and grabbed his keys, wincing as he tested the sutures in his side.

“Guess that,” Diggle pointed to Oliver’s side, “Is going to cut your night short.” Diggle grinned at the exasperated look Oliver gave him.

“Hope she doesn’t want to go dancing,” Felicity added, not bothering to hide her grin.

“You guys are a laugh a minute. First, nothing cuts my night short, and second,” Oliver began walking out. “I don’t dance.”

Diggle and Felicity laughed, turning away. Oliver stopped short at the door to the hidden entrance, and looked back. Felicity’s smile had faded and she was sort of just staring at her computers, absently tapping her thumb against her lips. More frequently, Oliver found himself wanting to explain all of the dates he went on, how he compared the women to her and found them lacking. How the nights ended with nothing more than a good night kiss…sometimes. And it was that sometimes he found himself ashamed of.

“Felicity,” he called out, before he could stop himself. She looked up, a question on her face. He paused for a minute and then shook his head.

“Good work tonight.”

Felicity nodded, gave him a small smile before turning back to her computers, exhaling when she heard the door close and then lock behind Oliver.

“You know, Felicity, you should get out of here, too. It’s still early. Give Claire a call. Unlike Oliver, you can dance,” Diggle said, shrugging on his jacket. “Thea has that hot new D.J. tonight.”

“Yep,” was all she said, putting the final touches on her H.I.V.E. query into her system before putting the monitors to sleep. She wasn’t worried about Diggle or Oliver checking her systems. They knew better than to touch her babies. Felicity sent a quick text to Claire to meet at Verdant. She glanced down at her outfit, and then shrugged. It would do. She nearly yelped when she felt Diggle’s hand on her shoulder.

“It’s a game, Felicity, to keep his parents, the public, and friends off his back.”

Felicity looked up at Diggle, startled that he would broach the topic. It wasn’t unusual for her and Diggle to share any number of conversations, but Oliver was one subject they never broached. He wasn’t blind, and she was certain he suspected she had feelings for Oliver. Diggle was just too kind to say anything about it, though.

“John,” she began, and then shook her head. He squeezed her shoulder and led the way out of the Foundry.

=========================

“I’m not sure I understand, Mr. Queen,” Felicity began, choosing her words carefully. “Currently, QC’s server inventory has been reduced with the acquisition of the more cost-effective yet technologically superior Intel-based server products. As a result, your IT department is running more efficiently, with higher skilled personnel assigned in sub-departments to provide the myriad support necessary for employee support, customer support, company mainframe support and cyber-security. It took us nearly two years to get here and now you want to add another server and hire additional staff to solely manage this server?”

“Exactly. QC has recently been acquired a new client that has several business dealings of a highly sensitive nature,” Robert began.

“Of course, but we have two servers dedicated to classified information only, and a staff of qualified personnel with the necessary clearances to manage it. Is there something wrong with those servers?”

“Of course not, but this company will be working closely with our Applied Sciences Division and will be sharing trade secrets that require the utmost protection. In short, the client demands it and we shall grant it. I trust that is not a problem?”

“Of course not, Mr. Queen. I just wanted to make sure I understood. Will you be hiring an additional team to maintain this server and provide support?”

“I already have. Several months ago, in fact. He’s been liaising with the client as the parameters of the contract were ironed out.”

Felicity looked at Robert Queen in surprise. All hiring for the QC IT department had been under her supervision for the better part of a year. Aside from Cooper’s hire…..and then Felicity knew. Dammit, she thought. Since that god-awful dinner with Cooper, she hadn’t seen nor heard from him. She had been so relieved when she never saw him at QC, thinking perhaps he had exaggerated his new position. Apparently, she lulled herself into a false sense of security.

“Cooper Seldon?” she asked, because she needed that verification.

“Yes. I understand you have a history with him. Suffice it to say, I’m sure that won’t be a problem.”

“Not with me,” Felicity replied back tartly, letting the insinuation sink in. Robert stared at her for a beat before a motion behind her caught his attention. 

“Here he is now,” Robert said, waving for Cooper to come in. Felicity didn’t turn and she didn’t stand. She stayed silent as Cooper exchanged pleasantries with Robert. There was an odd dynamic there, she thought. It was almost as if Cooper was in charge; a subtle shifting of power that Felicity would have missed if she hadn’t been watching so closely. Cooper finally turned to Felicity.

“Well, how surprised are you?” Cooper smiled and moved as if to kiss her cheek. Felicity shifted, crossing her legs, blocking Cooper from getting any closer. His smile slipped.

“I couldn’t begin to describe my surprise,” Felicity replied dryly. Robert raised a brow and Felicity swore his lips made a miniscule shift upwards in what was an otherwise taciturn expression, an expression that darkened even further, if possible, by the sight of someone else outside his office.  
Someone strode in, ignoring the protests of Robert’s secretary.

“Well, isn’t this quite the gathering?”

Felicity turned, watching Oliver stroll into his father’s office as if he hadn’t a care in the world. But Felicity knew Oliver and the twitching of his left hand told her all she needed to know. He was furious. More than that, she knew it had something to do with her. 

“Oliver, I’m in the middle of a meeting.”

“Yes, I see that. Don’t mind me; I’ll just get comfortable over here.” Oliver settled on one of the couches, swinging his feet up on the coffee table. Robert heaved a sigh and turned back to Felicity.

“Ms. Smoak, you will work closely with Mr. Seldon on installation of the server, the set up, and testing of security. Mr. Seldon is in direct communication with the client, so whatever he says, do.” The last part sounded like it was being ground through a meat grinder. Felicity said nothing. Cooper, on the other hand, didn’t…or couldn’t, Felicity wasn’t really sure…let this direction go by without comment.

“I expect many late nights as we perfect this system.”

Felicity nearly groaned aloud but managed to restrain herself. But Oliver had no such qualms. 

“Queen Consolidated has a policy against sexual harassment,” he remarked without looking up from his magazine. Felicity choked on laugh, earning herself a glare from both Robert and Cooper, whose face had flushed at the accusation.

“Miss Smoak, all progress reports on this particular contract shall be run through Mr. Seldon.”

“Mr. Queen, I’ll assign my best people to this task,” Felicity began but Cooper started shaking his head.

“Actually, only you will work on this project. The client demands it,” Cooper informed her.

“I see,” Felicity said, but she really didn’t. There was something going on here, something behind the scenes. It reminded her of the secrets that Oliver and Diggle were keeping from her. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She sensed Oliver going still behind her. So he felt it too, she thought.

“Well, then I guess I will see Cooper early Monday morning.”

Robert nodded in dismissal, already turning to the papers on his desk. Felicity picked up her bag and was turning to leave, when Cooper caught her arm. Oliver put the magazine down, looking from her to Cooper’s arm. Felicity gave an infinitesimal shake of her head. She looked pointedly at Cooper’s hand and then at him. He quickly withdrew his hand, tucking it into his pocket.

“What’s wrong with starting now? I can order dinner,” Cooper asked. Felicity felt Oliver stir again but before he could say anything, she was already using him as her excuse to escape.

“Sorry Cooper, but I have another appointment. It’s why Oliver is here.”

Robert looked up from his papers. “I’m sorry, you know my son, Miss Smoak?”

“Yes,” was all she said. Oliver rose lazily to his feet, gave his father an empty smile and then sauntered over to Felicity. Robert frowned, looking between the two of them.

“Ready?” Oliver asked, taking her arm. She moved in closer to him, nodding. Robert didn’t miss the motion or the way Oliver protectively shielded Felicity from any further interaction with Cooper. Despite the estranged relationship with Oliver, Robert found himself worrying. Lucas Hunt wanted Felicity for a very specific reason. Nothing would be allowed to stand in his way, including Robert’s own son. He made a mental note to have the family investigators look into Oliver’s relationship with Felicity. If he needed to warn Miss Smoak away from Oliver, he would. No matter the animosity between them, Oliver was his son and he would protect him from Lucas.

Felicity and Oliver didn’t speak until they were in the elevator. 

“Was you showing up a coincidence?” Felicity asked, keeping her eyes on the numbers above the elevator doors.

“No,” he said, also staring at the numbers.

“How did you know?”

“Contrary to popular opinion, I’m aware of everything going on in QC. I do know how to check and read my e-mails.”

“So Oliver Queen knows how to read?” Felicity teased, smiling.

“Yes, Oliver can read.”

Felicity shot him a look. Oliver merely cocked an eyebrow at her. She hated when he did that. It made her want to throw herself at him and kiss the very devilment out of his eyes. The elevator continued to descend, not stopping at any floors.

“There’s something going on there,” Felicity finally said, her voice low and almost a whisper.

“Yes,” Oliver said, just as quietly.

“This server, hiring Cooper…and it’s almost like Cooper is calling the shots or maybe Cooper really works for someone else. Maybe it’s related to the accounts?”

“Could be.”

“This isn’t the Cooper I knew in college. I need to look into this. Find out what he’s gotten himself into and if it has anything to do with those accounts funded by H.I.V.E. I want to check the balances and see if any additional funds have been siphoned off.”

“Felicity….”

“No, Oliver. You don’t get to dictate what I do or don’t look into. He may be an asshole, but I knew Cooper when he wasn’t. That has to count for something. He may not realize what he’s gotten himself into.”

Oliver didn’t say anything for the rest of the ride down. As they stepped into the lobby, he looked at her, concern evident in his eyes.

“What if Cooper knows exactly what or who he’s involved with? My father wasn’t exactly the man in charge in there. You could get hurt, Felicity.”

“Oliver, with what we do, that’s a risk I take every day. My life, my choice. Remember?”

“This is different,” Oliver said, as he held the door for her. She slipped outside, shivering against the sudden cold.

“How is it different?”

Oliver didn’t answer and this time Felicity didn’t bother to hide her frustration.

“You can’t have it both ways, Oliver. I’m either a part of this team, or I’m not. There is no half-way.” 

They stood outside, facing off in the chilly wind, both stubborn, both refusing to back down. It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence. They regularly engaged in a test of wills; Felicity standing toe-to-toe with him over any issue she was passionate about. It drove him nuts, in the best possible way, to engage her in a battle of wills so to speak. He found her mind intriguing and not a little bit sexy. But when it came to whether something was safe or dangerous, she generally bowed to his experience, even when she disagreed. This time, someone she knew and once loved was involved. She wasn’t going to let it go. 

“Despite his newly acquired creep factor, Cooper is a friend, someone I once loved. I can’t just let this go, Oliver. Something is going on, and if Cooper is being tricked, bamboozled, or whatever, then I owe it to him, to myself, to find out. I’m looking into H.I.V.E. whether you like it or not.”

Felicity took a breath and then confessed, “Actually, to be honest, I started that a few weeks ago, and while so far nothing significant, I know I’m making progress.”

“Wait…what? Felicity, we agreed –”

“No Oliver, we didn’t agree. I just stopped arguing and did what I think we should have done from the beginning. Unless you can articulate a rationale reason other than it’s too dangerous, I’m not stopping.”

Felicity walked away, leaving Oliver staring after her. He watched her get into her car, pulling his phone out.

“Diggle? We have a problem.”

=================================

“Sir, Mr. Seldon just phoned his report in. Miss Smoak will begin installation on Monday morning.”

Lucas looked up from a small, handheld device at his assistant hovering in the doorway.

“Monday? Why the delay?”

“Miss Smoak left with Oliver Queen straight from the meeting.”

Lucas leaned back in his chair, nodding in dismissal. He turned the chair to stare out the windows. He stroked his chin as he considered this information. His source inside A.R.G.U.S. had all but confirmed Felicity Smoak’s involvement with Oliver Queen and John Diggle. The evening he had sent his men out on a fake drug buy confirmed the information. Sometimes, he thought, good old fashioned spying with an amplifier could answer the most basic of questions. Hearing John Diggle address Felicity over their communication line gave him the confirmation he needed to start making his move. 

His device beeped. Picking it up, he read the report on his screen. Well now, this was interesting, he thought. Someone was looking into his organization and they had made it past several alarms without triggering one. In fact, whoever this was had made it to the final layer of protection. Impressive, but the person had just met their end.

“What a shame,” Lucas murmured aloud. “Whoever you are, I hope your affairs are in order.” He typed in a few commands and waited. It was rare for Lucas Hunt to be surprised. But the information that appeared on his screen genuinely caught him off-guard. He stared at the image of Felicity Smoak, momentarily stunned that it was her breaching his security. And then he smiled. Things were about to get interesting.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver, Felicity and Diggle return to Starling City and initiate Felicity's plan to bring down Lucas Hunt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there is no way I can finish this before next Wednesday (YAY! PREMIERE DAY IS NEXT WEDNESDAY!) even though I only have a few more chapters. Thank you to all the new readers that found my story and thank you to those spreading the word. I really appreciate it.
> 
> As always, suspend reality a bit while reading! 
> 
> And lastly, Eilowyn, I hope you are reading still!

“I hate leaving you alone,” Barry said as he slung his arm around Felicity’s shoulder. He pulled her closer into a small hug.

“She’s not alone,” Oliver mumbled from behind them, earning himself a grin from John. Felicity shot him an exasperated look over Barry’s shoulder. She slipped an arm around Barry’s waist to return the hug. And, she admitted to herself, to feed Oliver’s jealousy. It was nice to be on the other side for once. And now I’m reduced to being petty, she thought.

“I’ll be fine, Barry. I’ve been preparing for this moment for the last four years. We both know that I need to do this alone. I’ll be fine,” Felicity repeated. 

“You’re not alone.” This time it was Diggle, his tone affronted. Felicity threw Diggle an equally exasperated look.

“I could help,” Barry offered, completely ignoring the commentary from behind them. He stopped, turning to face Felicity as they came to his train car. Felicity shook her head, smiling to soften the rejection. She took his hands in hers, squeezing tightly.

“I can’t risk it, Barry. I can’t risk your life. Not in this.” 

Barry nodded, and looked over her shoulder at Oliver and John.

“You’ll take care of her,” he said, shushing Felicity when she opened her mouth to object. “Not because she needs it, she can take care of herself. But because she deserves it.”

“Barry,” Felicity said, “Stop.”

Oliver stepped forward, meeting Barry’s gaze evenly.

“With my life,” he said, “With my life.

Icy fingers raked down Felicity’s spine at Oliver’s words, a sense of foreboding clawed at her and she shivered. No one noticed though, as Barry nodded at Oliver’s words, turning back to Felicity just as the train’s whistle blew, signaling departure.

“You’ll call me when it’s over.” It wasn’t a question but a demand, so that Barry would know that she was safe. Kissing Barry on the cheek, she squeezed his hands one last time.

“Thank you, Barry. For everything,” Felicity said meaningfully. Grasping on to what she wasn’t saying, Barry nodded and then gave a wicked grin as he pecked her on the lips. Smiling cheerfully at a laughing Diggle and frowning Oliver, he jumped on the train, waving as it pulled away from the station.

Felicity waved in return and she kept waving even after she could no longer see Barry. She couldn’t help but worry. Lucas was so unpredictable. Thea’s death was a lesson she only needed to learn once.

“A.R.G.U.S. put some men on him,” John reassured her, guessing what was on her mind. Felicity nodded in thanks, watching the train lights fade into the dark. Turning, she fell in step between Oliver and Diggle as they walked out to the parking lot. Felicity gave a small smile, recalling many times the three of them walked out of some restaurant, coffee shop, or a job together like this. She elbowed Diggle who looked down at her; the grin on his face telling her he had the same thoughts. Both of them looked at Oliver who refused to look their way. But the smile on his face said all they needed to know. Diggle laid a hand on Felicity’s shoulder and squeezed. Yes, she thought, it’s good to be home.

They walked out to the parking lot to find Lyla standing in front of the SUV that originally brought them to the train station, dangling a set of keys from her hand. When she saw them, she tossed the keys to Oliver. 

“Vehicle is parked just there,” Lyla motioned with her head towards another non-descript black SUV, her eyes fixed on John.

“Re-group tomorrow?” Diggle asked as he walked over to Lyla and pulled her into a hug, dropping a kiss on her head.

“Late tomorrow,” Lyla added, turning her face up to John with a little smile on her face. He smiled slowly, and leaned down for a more leisurely kiss. Felicity grinned unabashedly at them.

“Later works for me,” she said, “There’s something I need to do tomorrow anyway. After lunch?”

Oliver looked down at her in surprise, wondering what business Felicity already had in Starling City. 

“Alright. Tomorrow, then. Our place. Night,” Diggle said, clearly in a hurry. He pulled a laughing Lyla toward her SUV. Oliver and Felicity watched them drive away, an awkward silence falling between them.

“Do you—”

“Would you—”

They both stopped and then suddenly laughed. Oliver indicated for Felicity to go ahead.

“I need a ride home, Oliver. Would you mind?”

Oliver looked at Felicity in surprise. “I was going to ask if you needed a place to stay. You have a place here?”

“I never gave my place up,” she replied. “I sub-leased it, and then when I could afford it, I paid the rent and then…” Felicity paused, a look of embarrassment coming across her face. “And then I bought the building.”

Oliver nodded, “Why?”

“I found I couldn’t let the past go. That I still wanted something to hold onto. There are memories there. Memories I treasure. So...” Felicity trailed off

“Yeah,” Oliver recalled, “There are some very good memories.”

Felicity smiled softly in agreement.

“Is it safe?” Oliver asked because he had to ask. Felicity nodded.

“The building is technically owned by a small real estate company that dabbles in small condo communities. That company is owned by another company that develops security for condo associations and well, that company...that company is really just me. These companies were one way of moving around without triggering Lucas’ search for me,” she paused, and then added more softly, “or you...or Diggle.”

“I see, and well, wow...” Oliver replied. “Although “wow” doesn’t really do what I’m thinking justice. You’re amazing, Felicity. Absolutely amazing.” 

Felicity ducked her head, absurdly pleased at his response.

“So, can I have a ride?” she asked.

“Of course. But, will answer one question for me?”

Felicity looked up at Oliver and then showed just how shockingly well she knew him.

“Barry and I met about a year after I left Starling City. We started dating a few months later. We dated for a while. Almost a year, until we both finally acknowledged he was, and always would be, in love with a woman he grew up with, and I...well, I wasn’t ready to move on. At least, not with Barry.”

Oliver kept his eyes on the keys in his hand as they walked towards the car. He opened the passenger door for her.

“Were you happy?” he asked as she climbed inside. Felicity paused and then settled into the passenger seat before answering.

“I think, for both Barry and I, we were to each other what we both needed at that time in our lives. Two lost souls that healed and comforted the other until we were ready to start moving forward. So yes, for a time, I was happy.”

Oliver stared at Felicity for a long moment and then nodded. He closed the passenger door very gently. As he walked around the car, he thought about her words and her need for comfort and healing. As he always did when he thought of the past, he regretted his mistakes. But this time, his regret was tempered with a hope for the future. Felicity was here, in Starling City. She was home and with him. He started the car and cranked the heat to high.

“I don’t want to like him,” he suddenly said about Barry.

“Oliver,” Felicity sighed.

“No, wait. It’s not like that. I want to dislike him for the mere fact that he was there for you when I wasn’t, when I was the cause of part of your hurt and pain. But I can’t dislike him precisely for that reason. I’m grateful to him. For giving you what you needed.”

Felicity stared at him in surprise. Never in a million years did she ever expect to hear words like that from Oliver. 

“You surprise me, Oliver. And thank you,” she finally said.

Oliver didn’t say anything for a moment. Just backed the car up, and began driving towards Felicity’s old place.

“It doesn’t mean I like his hands all over you,” he finally confessed. “Or when he absently touches you. And purposefully kisses you just to gauge my reaction.” 

There was silence for a minute and then laughter; a laughter so bright and clean that Oliver felt it to his very soul. A crooked smile crossed his face as he navigated the streets, feeling that peace he always felt when he was with Felicity.

===================

“So, how are we doing this? Just sailing into QC and accessing a server that probably has more security on it than Fort Knox?” Diggle said as soon as he opened the door to Felicity’s knock.

Felicity didn’t answer. She just stared in fascination at the baby in Diggle’s arms. She reached a finger out and ran it over Sarah’s hand. Sarah gurgled at her, causing Felicity to smile. The baby continued to bat at Felicity’s finger, grasping it in her little fist. Felicity cooed at the baby, earning a grin from Diggle. He looked over at Oliver to find him staring at Felicity and Sarah with yearning. There was a naked need on Oliver’s face, for this life, for the woman that played with a baby, for peace. The strength of that desire had Diggle looking away, an ache for his friend in his heart. He watched Sarah completely ensnare Felicity in her little web, and caught a flash of that same yearning in Felicity. These two, he thought, are going to be the death of me. 

“Felicity?” he prompted.

“Hmmm? John, she is just so adorable. Can I hold her? Will she let me?” Before Diggle could answer, Sarah was lunging from his arms to Felicity’s. Felicity laughed in delight, walking into the living room and settling on the couch. She settled Sarah on her lap and played peek-a-boo with Sarah’s hands, causing the baby to giggle.

“Sarah Diggle, you are the most beautiful little girl in the world. John, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about your security here and improvements I can do for you and Lyla.” 

Diggle smiled, shaking his head.

“You know I won’t say no to anything you provide. There’s nothing Lyla and I would ever turn down that makes our little peanut more secure.” 

Diggle brushed his daughter’s cheek with a finger, causing the baby to coo. 

“And it's Sarah Meghan Diggle. You were never not on my mind or in my heart, Felicity.”

Felicity felt tears threaten and buried her face in Sarah’s chubby neck, inhaling the soft baby scent. She waited a minute before looking up, her thank you shining in her eyes. She cleared her throat a couple of times.

“To your original question, yes, we will sail right in. And yes, the security is better than Fort Knox. After all, I designed it.”

Felicity handed Sarah back to Diggle, feeling wrong to be holding such a precious human while talking about Lucas. Diggle placed her in a cordoned off play area that he could see from his position in the living room.

“Wait, what? Viperidae still handles the cyber security for QC but another company handles our physical security. And we recently brought them on board two years ago,” Oliver said, completely confused.

“I know. You hired me...or rather my company...a company that is mine, so really you did hire me.”

Diggle whistled in admiration. Oliver shook his head, absolutely floored.

“Exactly how many shell companies do you own?” he asked. Felicity merely smiled.

“That was part of my business this morning. I went over to the branch office and met with my area manager. We discussed the latest upgrades and tech installations. While we were at it, I swiped all the passwords needed to access the system as well a keycard.” 

Both men just stared at her in silence.

“You don’t really need us for planning, do you?” Diggle asked. 

Felicity gave him a rueful look and shook her head. 

“You’ve been planning this for a very long time,” Oliver said.

Felicity nodded.

“We’re kinda the hired muscle, aren’t we?” Diggle joked. 

Felicity smiled, “Extremely good looking hired muscle.” Diggle laughed.

“One piece at a time, one step at a time, over the course of the last five years,” Oliver continued, lost in his own thoughts.

“Well, more like four. It took me that first year away to really put myself back together.”

Before he could hide it, Oliver winced at her words. Felicity closed her eyes, regretting her choice of words immediately.

“I’m sorry, that came out terribly. I mean, it’s true, it took me a year. But I needed that year. I was a mess, a hot mess. Crying all the time...I’m just going to shut up now.” Felicity stood up and peered out Diggle’s window, noting the small, cleverly concealed electronic devices set up against intrusion through the windows. A hand settled warmly on her shoulder and she shivered at the touch. Only Oliver could make her react that way. In the glass she could just see Diggle heading out of the living room with Sarah in his arms. She shifted her focus to Oliver’s reflection. Pulling her gently back into his arms, he surrounded her with his warmth. Her heart pounding, she tentatively leaned back against him. His breath, when he spoke, swept across the sensitive shell of ear and she swallowed hard.

“Don’t apologize for telling the truth. I want to know what happened to you during those five years. How you felt, how you healed, how you grew into this incredibly successful businesswoman with a formidable and not a little bit scary reputation.”

Felicity gave a soft laugh at his words, relaxing as she realized that her words hadn’t hurt him in the way she thought. He didn’t take it as a dig against him and the secrets he kept, but rather as an honest sharing of a part of her life that he and Diggle missed.

Oliver pressed a kiss against her cheek and Felicity leaned into it. The feeling of being wrapped in his arms was heady and she let herself relax further into the moment. They stood quietly, taking comfort from each other in this simple moment. It was the soft click of a door that had Oliver and Felicity separating.

“Sarah’s down for a nap,” Diggle explained as he re-entered the room without the baby. “What’s the plan?”

Felicity moved back to the sofa and pulled her tablet out from her bag. Sitting down, she entered her passcode, and then brought up a set of building plans on the screen. Oliver and Diggle stood behind the sofa, looking over her shoulder. Oliver grinned as he noted the building plans were of QC and were as recent as the new renovation on the executive suites completed four months ago.

“The server remains located on top floor, where I originally installed it. Access to that floor and the server room is restricted, requiring a key card and passcode. Keycard and passcode I have, as well as the passcode to the actual server room which is different from the elevator passcode.”

Felicity swiped a finger across her screen and then pulled up the security checkpoint in QC’s main lobby.

“Entry into the building requires an employee badge that is digitized to your employee number and thumbprint. Or, entry is granted to anyone whose name appears on an approved visitors list. Names are required to be submitted to the list 48 hours prior to any appointment at QC. In the case of a last minute appointment, or emergency, an escort at the executive level is required.   
Felicity looked over her shoulder and up at Oliver. She gave him a winning smile, fluttering her lashes in an exaggerated manner. Oliver laughed and brushed a finger down her nose.

“I take it I’m the escort,” he said, still smiling.

“Yup. Since you and Diggle still use the old “he’s my driver” routine...and seriously guys, it is getting old and I’m pretty sure most people don’t buy into anymore, or if they do, they must be pretty damn thick...I figure you two were my ticket in.”

“But, someone in QC will recognize you,” Diggle pointed out.

“I don’t plan on keeping my return a secret,” Felicity said. Diggle and Oliver exchanged a look, their concern clearly evident. Oliver walked around to sit on the coffee table in front of Felicity.

“Cooper is still very much a presence at QC, Felicity. You know he works for Lucas. He will report your return in seconds.”

“I’m counting on it,” Felicity replied, accessing more information on her tablet. She turned it around and showed it to Oliver and then showed Diggle.

“What is that?” Diggle asked slowly, reading the large amount of cash deposits on the screen.

“Cooper’s bank account in the Bahama’s,” she replied cheerfully.

“And what exactly do you plan to use that for?” Diggle took the tablet from Felicity, scrolling through the account. He shook his head and looked over at Oliver.

“He has over two million dollars in this account.”

“It’s leverage,” Felicity said, taking her tablet back. “A bit of security.”

Putting her laptop away, Felicity chewed on her bottom lip as she thought of how to tell Oliver and Diggle why they needed Cooper. There wasn’t an easy way, they would both voraciously object, but it was the only way. Looking at the two most important men in her life, she went with blunt.

“Once Lucas finds out I’m here, he’s going to take me. Or rather, he’s going to direct Cooper to take me. And you’re going to let him.”

======================

“I still don’t like this, Felicity,” Oliver said under his breath as they approached the security desk in the QC lobby.

“Too late,” she sing-songed back causing John to grumble from her other side. 

“Look, we talked about this last night...all night actually...and you both agreed we move forward. He will not hurt me. He needs my mind...wow, a man who wants me for my mind,” Felicity mused.

“Hey, I wanted you for your mind from the very beginning, and I still want you for your mind,” Oliver protested. Felicity blushed and gave him a small smile. Diggle shook his head.

“Man, this is not the time or place to prove how much you want Felicity.”

“Any time is a good time,” Oliver remarked just as they came to the desk. Felicity was pretty sure her face was beet red which probably explained the weird look the security guard gave her.

“Mr. Queen, good morning,” he said. “What can I do for you?”

“Good Morning, Paul. I have an unexpected guest this morning. I need a badge and access for Miss Smoak.”

“Of course, Sir. Ma’am, your I.D. please,” Paul said as he turned his attention back to Felicity. Oliver watched as Paul’s eyes widened and then glazed over. Looked down at Felicity, he stared in surprise at the complete change she pulled in the last ten seconds. Her eyes were limpid behind her glasses; a provocative glint teasing the guard. She smiled slowly as she pulled out her wallet, and handed over her driver’s license. 

“Ma’am?” she all but purred at Paul. He blinked and then blushed. Oliver rolled his eyes as Diggle coughed to hide his laughter.

“I’m sorry, ma’a—I mean, Miss,” he stuttered. Felicity beamed at him, causing the guard to turn a deeper shade of red. He handed her driver’s license back, dropping it before she could take hold and then handed her a building badge. That he dropped twice before he was able to pass it to her successfully. Felicity smiled at him again.

“Thank you, Paul,” she murmured as he dropped his pen to the ground. She kept her eyes on him as Oliver led her to the turnstiles for entrance, giving Paul a last smile and then a wink before moving into the elevator vestibule.

“What the hell was that?” Diggle asked, attempting with very little success to continue to smother his laughter. Oliver was wiping tears from his eyes, his shoulders shaking in mirth

“It’s going to take him at least 20 minutes before he gets himself together,” Felicity responded, coolly, flicking imaginary lint off her black coat. “When he finally enters my name into the system, I’ll be done. By the time Cooper gets the notice, makes his way to the top floor, we will be out of the server room.”

“I’ve never seen a guy fall so fast. I mean,” Oliver took a breath so he could continue. “He was practically groveling at your feet.”

“You guys make it sound like I don’t have sex appeal. I have plenty of sex appeal. If I didn’t have sex appeal, Oliver wouldn’t be having a hard time keeping his hands off me,” Felicity complained just as Oliver put a hand on her lower back. He snatched his hand back causing Diggle to laugh. Felicity gave him a smug grin. 

“Still, what makes you think it will take him at least 20 minutes?” Diggle asked. “He’s a pro. I hired him myself.”

“Experience,” was all Felicity said.

“Lunch at Big Belly Burger says Cooper meets us there,” Diggle bet. Felicity gave him a scathing look.

“You’re on...hope you have enough cash. I’m starving.” Oliver pushed the button for the top floor, and Felicity swiped her keycard and entered the passcode. The light went green and they rode the car in silence. When the doors opened, the foyer was empty.

“Do they still make the java milkshake at Big Belly Burger? I really love those,” Felicity remarked as she made her way to the door leading to the server.

“You gotta get through this first,” Diggle countered.

“No, you said that Cooper would probably meet us there. He’s not here.”

“I didn’t say when...he could still meet us here when we walk out of that room.”

Felicity gave Diggle a dirty look at his sneakiness, swiped her keycard, and entered in the passcode. The door unlocked with a click and she pushed it open. The room was cool, a single server set near the back wall, next to it a table with a single chair. The server hummed quietly, as they walked in, the door locking behind them.

Felicity eyed the server carefully, noting any changes from when she first installed it five years ago. There weren’t many. She opened the access panel, and slid the keyboard out as the monitor came to life. She began typing in commands. Oliver stood just behind her, blocking her from view from anyone who may enter the room. Diggle stood to right of the door where he would be hidden if the door was opened from the outside. It was silent for about two minutes and then Felicity opened a smaller door just to the left of the monitor. Removing a tube of lipstick from her coat pocket, she opened the bottom to reveal a USB device. 

“Nifty toy there,” Diggle said.

“Thank you. I designed it myself.”

“Really?” Oliver asked, intrigued at what other tech she may have designed.

“Mmmmhmmm,” she said as she plugged it in and began uploading her program. “I was tired of the stuff that looked too fake. So I designed one myself.” She watched as the program uploaded onto the server. When it was completed, she pulled the USB device out, and dropped it back into her coat pocket. She closed the server doors and stood up, moving the chair back to the table in the corner. 

Kneeling next to the server, she extracted a small screwdriver from her bag and opened another panel on the server. Taking a thin wire from her other pocket and a small, black piece of plastic that resembled a circuit board but not quite.

“What’s that?” Oliver asked, having turned sideways to watch her.

“This will let me remote in, with none the wiser. It resembles some of the circuit boards I installed on this server when it was first put in. It has a few modifications, like a wireless connection that is buried beneath the LAN connections.”

“Done,” she finally said about ten minutes later. She replaced the panel and made sure there was no sign that it had been removed. Oliver did another sweep, his eye quickly ascertaining that she had left nothing behind. Felicity swiped the keycard and entered the passcode to exit the room. Diggle placed a finger over his lips as he edged the door open. Felicity tensed, suddenly nervous. When he finally opened the door wider, she breathed a sigh of relief as they left the room.

They moved away from the server room, standing closer to the lobby.

“Guess, I owe you lunch,” Diggle said. 

Felicity was about to reply, when the elevators caught her attention. One of the cars was climbing from the 16th floor. The IT department was on the 16th floor. 

“Felicity, we have time to make a clean getaway,” Oliver urged. 

“We can find another way to get that Lucas’ handheld from him.”

“You know that the only way to get that device is to take it him from his hands. The only way to do that is to have him hand it to me. We don’t have time to have this conversation again, Oliver.”

Felicity stood firm, meeting Oliver glare for glare. He pressed his lips together, shoving his hands into his pockets. 

“Just to be clear, you don’t get to win every argument,” he said as he moved to stand over to her right. Felicity smiled and suddenly reached up to kiss him. Oliver couldn't help but smile back.

“No, but I do for the foreseeable future.”

Diggle moved to stand back but center to Oliver and Felicity, his eyes fixed on the elevators.

“Guys, elevator is on 24. Focus.” 

Oliver cleared his throat, and took a step back from Felicity as she pulled her tablet from her bag, holding it like a clipboard.

“Felicity, so glad you came to take a look at what your company installed yourself,” Oliver was saying as Cooper strode out of the elevator. He faltered at Oliver’s words.

“Wait, what?” he blurted out. As a unit, Oliver, Diggle, and Felicity turned to stare at Cooper. Felicity’s haughty mask was firmly in place. Her eyes were a frosty blue behind her glasses, her face expressionless as she stared at Cooper. She was relaxed, but Oliver’s sharp eyes caught the slight tightening of her hand around her tablet.

Realizing he lost the upper hand, Cooper attempted to regain it by making a slow perusal of Felicity’s appearance starting at her feet, his eyes creeping over body, lingering on her legs and then her breasts before moving over her blonde hair. He did a second sweep and Felicity just barely restrained from crossing the lobby to slap the leer off his face.

“Well, well, well,” Cooper drawled, “I confess, I thought it was a mistake when your name popped up on the visitors log a few minutes ago. But look at that...you’re here. And a blonde now, too.”

“Hello Cooper,” was all Felicity said her voice so frigid that Oliver wondered that icicles didn’t start forming on the ceiling. Diggle suddenly shifted his stance resulting in the two men flanking Felicity on either side.

“That’s it, just a hello? We’re old friends, Felicity, surely we can do better than that,” Cooper responded, moving towards Felicity. A rumble came from Felicity’s right and she realized that Oliver just growled. Under other circumstances, she would have been laughing hysterically, but right now, she realized that if Cooper so much as laid a hand on her, he’d be on the floor in less than five seconds. She laid a hand on Oliver’s arm, her fingers curling around her biceps. As she looked up at him, she let her mask fall away, and emotion flared brightly between them. Oliver looked down at her, and his face softened. Reaching down, he pulled her arm through his, keeping her close to his side. Felicity didn’t protest. When she turned back to Cooper, the haughty disdain was back in place.

“Let’s not and say we did,” she replied. “What are you doing here Cooper?”

“This area is off limits,” he started, but Felicity was already shaking her head.

“I’m inspecting the new physical security elements we installed recently. I have authority to be up here. Not to mention that I have an escort.”

Reminded of his earlier surprise, Cooper returned to finding out what exactly that meant. 

“What do you mean you installed?”

“I own the company that QC contracted to upgrade its building security.”

“And you knew this?” Cooper asked Oliver.

“I don’t believe I report to you,” Oliver replied.

“You report to your father,” Cooper rejoined.

“Yes, I do.”

Cooper waited but Oliver said nothing more, just stared right back at Cooper. Frustrated at this show of solidarity, and slightly puzzled, he tried a different tact.

“The server room is off-limits to your security inspections,” Cooper lectured.

“No, it’s not. We installed the access panel there as well. Although, interestingly enough, Mr. Queen declined video surveillance...hmmm...I should follow up on that declination, Oliver. Perhaps later this week if your father’s schedule permits?”

“I determine Robert’s schedule. And you can’t go in the server room without an escort,” Cooper interjected.

Felicity looked up and gave Cooper a cold smile.

“I have an escort,” she said, tilting her head in Oliver’s direction.

“An escort designated by Mr. Queen. Authority to grant such an escort has been delegated to me, and I’m denying your access.”

Felicity stared at Cooper for a moment and then shrugged.

“Suit yourself. But I should remind you that the contract specifically states that declination of inspections to ensure proper maintenance and equipment performance indemnifies my company from any liability for security breaches until the next scheduled or unscheduled inspection.”

“Need a dictionary?” Diggle offered, his arms folded across his chest. Felicity let a small smile cross her face at his words. Cooper glared, and then attempted to appear unaffected by her words. But the thin sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead said otherwise.

“Then I suppose my inspection is complete,” Felicity walked towards the elevator and pushed the down button. To Oliver’s surprise, she pulled out the security fob disguised as a lipstick. Opening it, she touched up her lips using the mirrored wall between the elevator cars. Meeting Oliver’s gaze in the reflection, she winked.

“Wait, you’re just going to leave?”

Felicity finished touching up her lipstick. Making a production of putting the tube away, she then smoothed a hand over her hair, and pretended to wipe away a smudge of eyeliner.

“If I can’t inspect the security on the room, then I’m done.”

The numbers above the elevator flashed as a car drew closer to the top floor. Cooper glanced at the numbers then back at Felicity.

“Wait, there is something else now that you’re back. Perhaps we could go to my office to discuss it?” The elevator steadily climbed, until it paused on the 17th floor. After a moment, it started rising, stopping again on the 20th floor.

Felicity raised a brow. God, Cooper was so utterly predictable, she thought. He was doing exactly what she told Oliver and Diggle he would do. She saw Oliver tense and Diggle moved his hand closer to his gun. She gave a miniscule shake of her head. Cooper wouldn’t try to take her here, not with Oliver and Diggle so obviously on guard, and Cooper would never try to take her alone. He was too much of a coward. But it was time to call him out. 

Turning to face Cooper, she slipped her hands back in her coat pocket.

“If you want to discuss my virus, or Lucas Hunt’s demand for me to give him my virus, there is nothing to discuss. My virus is not available to him.”

Cooper stumbled back in shock at her words. He had no idea that she knew he was involved with Lucas Hunt.

Felicity moved into Cooper’s personal space. Her voice was low and hard.

“Tell Lucas Hunt he can go to hell. And Cooper, you can go with him.”

The elevator doors opened and Felicity slowly backed away from Cooper, never taking her eyes from him. She stepped into the elevator, Oliver and Diggle surrounding her. The doors closed, and Felicity closed her eyes. 

“I need to have a chat with Paul,” Diggle casually remarked.

Felicity laughed weakly, keeping her eyes closed. She felt nauseous, and something close to terror was threatening to take over. Strong arms came around her and she found her nose pressed to Oliver’s chest.

“Since when are you such a badass, Felicity Smoak?” he teased, holding her tight.

“Since always,” she huffed into his shirt, feeling the nausea and terror fade away in the safety of Oliver’s embrace.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While out in the field, Oliver abandons all pretense of friendship with Felicity. Lucas Hunt makes his move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wouldn't leave me alone this weekend. At all. I never write on the weekends. But this....I had to get it out. 
> 
> Thank you for all the comments and kudos! Thank you to those sharing my story with others. What a great experience I'm having with my first attempt at fan fiction. Thank you!
> 
> Also, um, I didn't update the tags for graphic because I don't really consider what I wrote porn...but if I should, just drop me a note in the comments. And on that note...yeah....I think it's hot.
> 
> Edit: Forgot to put the flashback tag ("So and so Years Earlier") so updating to reflect this is a flashback chapter.

_Five Years Earlier_

“For the record, I don’t like this,” Oliver said as he pulled on his balaclava, and then rolled it up to rest on his forehead. Felicity rolled her eyes at home before doing the same.

“For the record, that’s the hundredth time you said that. And for the hundredth time, we have no choice. This group isn’t stupid. They took their system off-line so the only way for me to access the information A.R.G.U.S. wants is for me to plug in directly.”

“For the record, I still don’t like this,” Oliver repeated somewhat petulantly.

“For the record,” Diggle interrupted, “you both need to shut up. And she’s right, Oliver. There’s no other way. Besides, we’ll take care of her.”

“There,” Felicity said, patting Oliver’s arm in a comforting manner. “I’ll be perfectly fine with you two badass’ watching my back.”

Irritated at the way she patted his arm, Oliver said nothing. Just studied the surrounding area outside the building they were about to infiltrate. The van was parked about 50 yards south, hidden behind several large dumpsters. Every now and then Felicity would wrinkle her nose in disgust at the odor that permeated the van. Oliver was having a hard time resisting the urge to drop a kiss on that cute nose of her’s. Focus, Oliver, he thought, focus.

Felicity pulled up a grid of the area on her tablet and accessed satellite imaging. The screen blinked and then came live. Four figures patrolled the outer area. Another four patrolled the interior.

“Security detail remains unchanged,” Felicity said, her voice crisp and focused. “Exterior patrol sweeping in pairs, two perimeters, using clockwise and counterclockwise positioning. Interior patrols are in quadrants, using stairwells. Elevators are locked.” She handed her table to Diggle who remained in the driver seat of the van.

“Is it worth unlocking the elevators?” Diggle asked as he studied the exterior patrol pattern on her tablet.

“No. That would announce our presence before we can even get to the server room.”

“Any stairwells not in use?” asked Oliver.

“No, there are only two stairwells, both in use. There is a 30 second gap between each patrol passing each other.”

Felicity took back her tablet and studied the interior of the building for a moment. Elevators, she thought to herself. Elevators! Looking at Oliver, another plan began to form in her mind. She hesitated a minute before plunging forward.

“The elevators,” she began.

“You just said –” Diggle said, but Felicity was already shaking her head.

“Not the elevator cars, the elevator shafts. We can use those to get to the server room. The building is only ten stories.”

Oliver studied the elevator shafts and then looked over at Felicity.

“Felicity, there is no ladder in the elevator shafts. Which means it’s a straight up climb on the cables. Not a lot of slack on those cables, so using the wall as a foothold may be problematic.”

“Why climb when we can use a pull line?” Felicity asked.

“A pull line? I don’t have a pull line.”

Felicity pulled a large case from her side of the van and slid it over to Oliver using her foot. Diggle glanced at it and then at Felicity, eyebrows raised. She nodded at him, confirming what was in the case. He never thought she would do it, but when she had come to him for advice on a few of the technical aspects, he helped her, thinking it was just a whim.

Oliver glanced down at the case and then at Felicity. Leaning down, he flipped the clasps and lifted the lid. He froze at what he saw inside and then, almost reverently, leaned down and pulled out the compound bow. The grip fit his hand smoothly, the brace height was perfect, the weight negligible. He looked up at Felicity.

“I had it custom made,” she blurted out and then reaching behind her, brought out a quiver filled with arrows.

“These,” she said, pointing to arrows with white fletching, “are pressurized arrows with enough titanium cable to get us up at least five floors.” Oliver remained silent, saying nothing. Felicity felt a pressure in her chest. She threw Diggle a glance, but his expression was fixed on Oliver.

“We can use the elevators to get us up the first 4-5 floors, we’ll ride on top and then when they stop it, we can use those arrows to go the remaining distance. They’ll be distracted by the empty moving elevators. That should give us enough time to get in the server room, download the information, and then get back out.”

Oliver still said nothing, his eyes shifting between the quiver and the bow. His hand smoothed down the line of the bow. Felicity’s hands fluttered as she pointed to another set of arrows.

“These, with the green fletching, are just regular arrows. These, with red fletching can penetrate stone so if you needed zip-line or something, and then these,” Felicity pulled out vest that had small, tube-shaped clips attached to it. “These can be attached to any of the arrows and when the arrow strikes a solid object, they let off a bang and quite a bit of smoke, enough for a quick getaway.”

Felicity was starting to feel desperate. Maybe bringing these out right as they were about to start a mission wasn’t the best idea. She could have found another way to get to that server room. It would have taken them longer, but now she was distracting Oliver when he needed to be focused.

“I’m sorry, I should have asked. I know. But you do this thing with your bow and arrows all the time, and I know they mean something to you so I didn’t think you’d want to risk ruining them in the field and so I started designing this thinking that maybe you’d think about doing something good for the city and….I’m just going to stop talking now.”

Felicity looked over at Diggle who shrugged as Oliver just sat there, staring at the bow.

“Oliver,” she pleaded, “say something. Anything.”

He took a breath. And then another. He picked up the bow again.

“It’s perfect,” he breathed, “perfect.”

Felicity almost went limp with relief as Oliver fastened the quiver around his back. Taking the blast clips off the vest, he clipped them to the strap of the quiver. Opening the back door of the van, he jumped out, holding the bow down by his side. Oliver turned and held out a hand to Felicity. She slipped her hand in his as she jumped out but before she could pull away, he squeezed her hand tightly. Felicity looked up at him.

“Thank you,” was all he said before releasing her hand. But it was the way he said it that had Felicity tucking those words close to her heart.

==============================

It was just after Oliver shot the pull line and the flare of the light that went with it faded out as the line wrapped around one of the elevator shaft beams that Felicity realized she made a huge mistake. She stood on top of the elevator car, listening to the patrol inside try to open the doors manually. Oliver had just finished securing the line when he turned back to her. For the second time, he held his hand out to her and then frowned.

“What is it?” he whispered, noting the distressed look on her face.

“Um,” Felicity whispered back, her voice shaky. “I just realized I’m afraid of heights.”

Swallowing hard, she added, “Especially when they disappear into inky darkness.”

Oliver stared at her incredulously. There were two armed men below them, seconds from entering the car and once discovering it empty, and if they were smart, seconds from opening the hatch to the elevator shaft. Diggle was waiting for their signal that the download was complete before he secured the outer perimeter for their departure. Her expression was pinched and one hand clutched her tablet so hard he thought the screen would crack.

“Felicity,” he whispered, but she continued to stare up into the dark, trying to see where the cable line ended.

“FELICITY!” At Oliver’s urgent whispered shout, Felicity jerked her attention back to him.

“Look at me,” he said. He waited until her eyes were focused on him. “Do you trust me?”

At her immediate nod, he motioned her closer.

“Then put your arms around me, Felicity.”

Felicity took a small step towards him, and put an arm around his neck. His arm came around her and locked her to him in an iron grip.

“Felicity, hold on to me tight,” he said, his eyes fixed on the pull line.

“I imagined you saying that to me under different circumstances,” Felicity blurted out. Oliver turned his head to look at her and she flushed slightly.

“Very platonic…..circumstances,” she lied. Oliver studied her for a minute and Felicity met his gaze evenly. The sound of the doors giving way prompted him into action. Settling her more firmly against him, Oliver turned his attention back to the pull line and with the click of a button they were soon zooming up and disappearing into the darkness.

Oliver landed them smoothly on the narrow ledge outside the doors to the tenth floor just as the elevator hatch burst open beneath them. He pushed Felicity’s back against the door and then pressed against her tightly.

“Don’t move,” he whispered so low that she had to strain to hear him. “The ledge provides just enough coverage from a flash light sweep. God help us if they have something stronger.”

She nodded, inhaling Oliver’s clean scent. She could just make out the low hum of conversation coming from below. Giving in to the urge, she laid her head on Oliver’s chest. She felt his chin rest on her head. His body was tense and she could feel the muscles on his arms quivering as he held on to the thinnest of holds. She pressed herself back into the elevator door harder, trying to give him more room. He immediately followed.

From beneath Oliver’s arm, Felicity could just see small circles of lights sweeping over the wall to her right. She tensed as one came very close to Oliver’s foot. A vibration came for Oliver’s chest, and she realized he was soothing her. She gave a miniscule nod, and rubbed her cheek against him. She felt Oliver’s body tighten further and froze. Why, she thought, did her libido pick right now to come roaring to life? Who am I fooling? I’m always ready when it comes to Oliver. Shifting very slightly, she froze again. Well, well, well, she thought, I’m not the only one affected by this. Felicity bit her lip to keep the grin that was threatening from spreading across her face.

The lights faded, the voices disappeared, and the door to the hatch clanged shut. It echoed through the elevator shaft and Felicity let out the breath she had been holding. Oliver made quick work of the elevator doors and hoisted himself out. Turning, he pulled her up and out, right into his embrace. Behind the balaclava, his eyes glinted down at her. He pulled her flush against him and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I’m done pretending, Felicity,” he began and Felicity was already nodding in agreement, rising on her tiptoes. Both had lost focus on the job, eager to lose themselves in each other.

“Oliver and Felicity, you need to move. A van just showed up and eight additional men just jumped out. They’ve gathered out front along with the interior security team.” Diggle’s voice came across their ear pieces and they jumped apart.

“Copy all, Dig,” Oliver replied calmly, his eyes never leaving Felicity’s. Her breathing was shallow, an adorable flush highlighting her cheekbones.

“Not really the time is it?” she remarked, licking her lips. Oliver’s eyes followed the movement of her tongue. Dammit, he thought. Their timing really, really, for lack of a better word, sucked.

“Don’t you forget what I said, Felicity. When we are done her, we’re going to talk about this….this thing between us.” Oliver’s eyes were very serious and Felicity nodded. She pulled up her tablet and after a few seconds, she spoke. But it was to Diggle.

“Diggle, I just hacked into the comms channel they are using. Sending the feed your way….now.”

Felicity headed to the server room with Oliver close behind. She entered and saw immediately the station she needed to plug into. As she set to work, Oliver did a quick sweep of the room, discovering a second door near the back. Opening it quietly, he saw it led to a set of stairs which led to a door marked roof access. He came back to Felicity’s side.

“How long?”

“Not sure yet,” she replied, “Maybe five minutes?”

Oliver nodded and remained quiet. He was about to check the area outside the server room when Diggle’s voice came over the line.

“Oliver? I’m patched directly to you. Didn’t want to freak Felicity out while she’s working. You’ve got movement. Four men headed to the tenth floor right now.

“Almost done?” Oliver asked, watching her fingers fly across the keyboard.

“Mmmhmmm….” She replied absently. She studied the data on the screen, found what A.R.G.U.S. wanted and began downloading. As she was waiting for the download to complete, she saw something else that caught her attention. The file was labeled H.I.V.E. Casting a quick look at Oliver, she saw his attention focused on the door that led back to the elevators. He moved away from her and pressed an ear to the door. Quickly removing another USB device from her pocket, she plugged it in and downloaded that file as well. Just as both files finished downloading, Oliver straightened from the door.

“Time to go,” he whispered. Turning, she saw him backing away from the door, focused intently on it. She heard the slight sound of footsteps outside the doors. She quickly pocketed the USB devices

“How the hell are we going to get out of here?” she whispered. Oliver motioned to the back and she quickly moved. Seeing the second door, she went out and up the stairs with Oliver close behind her. Oliver motioned for her to stay back as he opened the door and stepped out onto the roof. After making sure it was clear, he beckoned to Felicity. She followed him to the south side of the building. She could just make out their van behind the dumpsters.

“Diggle,” Oliver said into their comms.

“Yeah?”

“New exit strategy.”

“Figured. Where?”

“Look up and across.”

“Damn, Oliver.”

“Uh, yeah, Oliver. Damn,” Felicity chimed in. Oliver grinned down at her.

“Just like the elevator shaft, Felicity. I’m going to rappel down the face of the building and you just hold on tight.”

Oliver secured a cable around one of the ventilation shafts and threw it over the side. Securing himself to the line, he turned to Felicity and held out his arm. This time, she came to him with no hesitation. With his help, she jumped up onto his back and wrapped her legs around his waist. Taking care not to choke him, because that would be really bad, she looped her one arm under his left arm and the other over his right shoulder, clasping her hands in front.

“Ready?” he asked, nearly losing focus at the feel of her legs wrapped around his waist.

“Let’s go,” Felicity said, pressing her face to his neck and then gave in to the crazy impulse to press her lips to the side of his neck. Oliver jerked in surprise and then pushed off the edge, flying down the side of the building as if Felicity was weightless.

As soon as they hit the ground, she jumped down and began running towards the fence. It was the last thing that stood between them and the van. Oh, and the dumpsters which she promptly fell in when she slipped off the top of the fence, much to Oliver’s amusement.

“Serves you right,” he said as he helped her out and brushed a crust of pizza out of her hair. She gagged and then looked down at her black, thermal hoodie. It was soaked with some unidentifiable liquid that had a strong sour smell to it.

“Shut up,” she grumbled, brushing off what looked like Kleenex and coffee grind.

“I swear to Christ,” Diggle said, “you two are going to get us caught. Get in the goddamn van. Oliver, you can finish flirting in there.”

Both turned to see that Diggle had turned the fan around to leave and was staring at them in exasperation. Oliver and Felicity jumped inside. Once the door was closed and they could no longer see him, Diggle let out a full-fledge smile. Finally, he thought, finally.

=======================

By the time, they returned to the Foundry, the tension between Oliver and Felicity was so thick that Oliver was ready to tear his hair out. Felicity kept licking her lips, her eyes steady on him. The only thing that kept her from jumping Oliver in the back of the van was Diggle and the strong odor coming off her clothes. As soon as she walked in the Foundry, Felicity headed straight for the shower, throwing her hoodie in the trash as she went. She was pulling her t-shirt over her head as she turned to close the bathroom when Oliver came inside carrying the bow and other gear. Their eyes met and he took in the sports bra she had on and the smooth skin of her shoulders. His eyes dipped and lingered on her breasts. Her breath hitched and he took a step towards her. Shaking her head, she slammed the door shut. Leaning against it, she took a deep breath and then promptly gagged. The need to be clean overwhelmed everything else and she turned the shower to hot.

The smile on Oliver’s face quickly faded as he realized that a thin door separated him from a naked Felicity. He was imagining the water running over Felicity’s skin when the sound of Diggle’s throat clearing had him reigning himself back before he joined her in the shower.

Turning he saw Diggle staring him down, arms folded across his chest.

“What?” he asked, although he could guess what.

“I’m glad you are finally getting your shit together, Oliver. You know that. You love that girl, whether you realize it yet or not. But I love her too. And you know what? There are a few things you need to tell her. Like how walking into her office was no accident. Like how you want her to find a super virus for us so we can use it to bring Lucas Hunt down. You need to tell her before you do anything else.”

Oliver said nothing as he stared at the bathroom door. Diggle sighed and then moved to leave. He stopped next to Oliver.

“Oliver, you’ve mishandled this from the moment you met Felicity and she didn’t fall for the Oliver Queen you show the world. Instead, you fell for her. Hard. It’s a small thing that you’ve let become bigger. Lie upon lie. Clear the slate before anything else. Trust me when I say that starting a relationship without clearing the slate is ending that relationship before it even has a chance to begin. ”

Diggle clasped Oliver briefly on the shoulder and then headed out. Oliver rested his hands on the table, leaning heavily against it, his head bowed low. Diggle’s words echoed in his mind and Oliver knew he was right. Felicity was unlike any other woman he knew. She deserved the best of him, that side of him he kept hidden, even from his own family. That side she somehow saw despite the lingering doubt she had about him. Oliver was so lost in thought that he didn’t hear the door to the bathroom open. He nearly jumped when he felt a small hand lay gently on his forearm.

“What is it?” she asked softly, her eyes concerned. All of Oliver’s good intentions flew out the window when he saw Felicity was wearing nothing but one of his t-shirts that he must have left hanging in the bathroom. It left one shoulder bare and ended mid-thigh, revealing her long legs. She flushed under his perusal.

“Um, sorry, I realized I forgot to bring in a change of clothes in my haste to get out of my own…not that I was in a rush to get naked, I mean, yeah, I kind of was because Lord, I smelled not because I want to be naked with you, which I do but….oh dear God, what is wrong with me? I’m going to find pants. Now.” Felicity turned to go, incredibly embarrassed, but Oliver caught her hand and before she could say anything his mouth was on hers.

Felicity nearly cried in relief. His mouth, his kiss, was everything she dreamed about and more. His mouth moved urgently over hers, his tongue sweeping inside to rub against hers. She pressed herself against him, entwining her arms around his neck, rising on her toes to meet him kiss for kiss. She flicked her tongue against his and felt a low rumble in his chest. She felt his hand press against her ass, pushing her into him and she rocked against him, one leg lifting to his hip, trying to position the bulge in his pants where it would do the most good.

Oliver grasped her leg and lifted her, spinning to place her on the table behind him. Felicity gasped at the cold metal against her skin, but the coldness of the table in contrast with the feverish heat of her skin made her hotter. She rocked herself against Oliver, discovering the table was the perfect height to have the most intimate part of her pressed against his rigid length. The rough denim brushing against her clit nearly made her come. Her hands gripped his shoulders as her head fell back. The feel of Oliver’s mouth against her neck had her squirming to get closer.

Felicity moaned and Oliver nearly spilled in his jeans. The frantic noises she was making in the back of her throat had his blood on fire. He slipped his hand beneath her shirt to find her bare and he thanked the Gods that she forgot to bring a change of clothes into the bathroom. Her skin was soft and warm beneath his hand as he brushed his fingers along the inside of her thigh. She tried to spread her legs wider, but he clamped his other hand on her hip. Too fast, he thought, slow down. This is Felicity.

“Don’t move,” he muttered against her mouth as he swept in for another wild kiss. Cherries, he thought. When on earth did she find time to eat cherries?

“Lipgloss,” she gasped and he realized he was still talking out loud. “Please, Oliver, I need you to…” He covered her mouth with his before she could finish that sentence. She wiggled against him and he clamped down harder on her hip.

“Don’t move,” he repeated, more roughly. “If you move, I will bury myself inside you hard and fast and I don’t think you’re ready for that.”

Felicity felt herself quivering at his words; her core melting, softening for him.

“God, I’m ready, Oliver, just touch me.”

He couldn’t resist and he brushed his fingers against the heat of her, feeling the dampness coat his fingers. God, she was so wet, so hot. Knowing that this was for him sent a small, darting pain to his heart and his breath caught in his throat on a well of emotion. It was that pang in his chest, the inability to breathe that had nothing to do with the kiss he was pouring into her, that had him pulling back, resting his forehead against hers.

Felicity didn’t move, knowing something had made him stop but not sure what. Had she done something wrong? Listening to him catch his breath, she realized just how close she had been to letting him take her right there in the Foundry. On a metal table. She cringed. God, he must think her so easy, like one of the hundreds of girls that fell at his feet. Felicity began to mentally shut down and when she pulled away, she almost cried as he let her go.

Oliver felt the minute that Felicity began to emotionally withdraw from him. It would only take a word or two to have her back in his arms, yet he refrained, letting her draw back from him. He needed the space to do what was right. But letting her go was the hardest thing he had done since he began working for A.R.G.U.S. He watched as she walked away, pulling a pair of leggings that she kept at the Foundry for when she worked out with Diggle from the locker. Turning her back, she slipped them on, and then slipped on the old running shoes she kept in there as well. She looked around for her coat and bag. Oliver didn’t move from where he leaned on the table watching her.

Felicity took a breath and then finally met Oliver’s gaze. The heat in them caused her knees to buckle and she place a hand on her computer chair for support. She was confused and dammit, not a little bit aroused.

“Oliver?”

“I need to do something, Felicity. I need to fix something first. And then, I really want to take you to dinner. And maybe a movie. Something normal. And then, I really, really want to pick up where we just left off.”

Felicity stared at him in surprise. It was the last thing she expected to hear.

“What do you need to fix?” she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

“Something I did after I first met you. I’ll explain it to you tomorrow, and then maybe, after you hear and see everything I have to say and show you, you could think about that dinner.”

Felicity tilted her head to the side and gazed at Oliver thoughtfully. He was nervous, she saw and yet there was an air of anticipation around him. No, she thought, not anticipation more like relief. Relief to share whatever it was that made him stop tonight.

She smiled, somewhat shyly, and nodded her head.

“Okay, Oliver. But I know I don’t have to think about it. I would love to have dinner with you.”

She meant to make him smile and instead, a look of sadness crossed his face. He came over and pulled her into a rough hug.

“God, I hope so, Felicity. Go home,” he said cryptically. “Meet me here tomorrow after work.”

She nodded and pulled away. He pressed a kissed against her forehead before letting her go. As he watched her walk out of the Foundry, he had this feeling that nothing was going to be right after tomorrow.

===============================  
Felicity hummed as she made her way up the steps to the front door of her condo. She smiled, putting her fingers to her lips, feeling how swollen they were from Oliver’s kisses. She pushed open her door and dropped her keys on the table next to the door. She closed and locked her door, leaning on it for a minute, eyes closed. It was the sound of a long exhale that had her eyes snapping open. She looked around, peering into the darkness of her apartment as she reached one hand behind her to begin unlocking her door.

“Please don’t attempt to run out, Miss Smoak. It would make my wait for your return this evening all for naught. And I do hate wasting time.”

There was a click and the small lamp next to her couch came on. Seated in the corner was perhaps the most handsome man…next to Oliver, she amended in her mind…she had ever seen. Felicity studied him, not recognizing him. As she studied him, she realized his face, especially his eyes, remained expressionless. Cold. Flat. As he dispassionately looked at her, Felicity could not suppress the chill that came over her.

“You are not at all what I expected,” the man continued.

“I didn’t expect you at all,” Felicity retorted, not sure where the burst of bravado came from. The man tilted his head to the side in an eerily familiar manner.

“How rude of me. Allow me to introduce myself,” he began.

“How about you get out of my apartment?” Felicity snapped and pulled out her phone to call the police. The man stood and pulled a small electronic device from his pocket. A few swipes across his device and suddenly Felicity’s phone went dead. She looked between him and her phone.

“What did you just do?” A part of Felicity was absolutely fascinated with the display of technology. The more rational part of her was suddenly very scared.

“I just need a moment of your time, Miss Smoak, after which, I’ll take my leave. It’s not my intent to hurt you. Tonight.”

Felicity caught the pause, realizing that this man very likely intended to hurt her at some point. She looked around the apartment. He was alone. She slid to her left, towards her kitchen and then froze when he held a hand up.

“Please don’t move. I have two snipers just itching to take a shot at you.”

Felicity looked down and saw the red lights of sniper rifles playing over her chest. It’s just like the movies, she thought absently. She looked back up at the man and waited.

“As I was saying, allow me to introduce myself. I am Lucas Hunt.”

He said it as if she should know his name. When she showed no reaction, she saw the first display of emotion. Interest, a bit of confusion, and then amusement.

“I see. You have never heard of me.”

Felicity shook her head, remaining silent.

“Perhaps you’ve heard of my organization. H.I.V.E.”

Lucas Hunt saw the flair of recognition in Felicity’s eyes and he nodded.

“Yes, my organization. I was quite impressed that you were able to infiltrate my cyber security system. I don’t know why I was surprised. I knew you were the best. After all, I made sure you received a thorough education in that area.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Despite her determination to remain silent, Felicity couldn’t help the words that escaped her. Nor could she hide the confusion from her voice.

“Your scholarships? Funded by me, personally.”

“What? Why?”

“Why don’t we save that story for another time? Right now, there are more pressing matters that demand our attention.”

Felicity’s mind was working furiously. Her scholarship to M.I.T. was funded by this man? To what end? For what purpose? How did he know about her?

“Miss Smoak, you have something in that impressive mind of yours that I want very much.”

Felicity snapped back to attention. She gave him a wary look but did not reply.

“I am willing to pay very handsomely for it. Or, in the alternative, bring you on as one of my employees with a very generous salary.”

“What could I possibly have that you would want?”

“Your super virus.”

Felicity was unprepared for his words. She bent at the middle, shocked and utterly terrified. No one knew about that virus. No one. Cooper barely knew anything about it. Or maybe…but Lucas was talking again, distracting her from her train of thought.

“It was quite an impressive display of skill. Had I not interfered, you would most likely be sitting in a federal prison this very moment,” Lucas Hunt adjusted his jacket and then walked closer to her. He slipped his hand in his pocket, studying her very thoroughly. She shivered under the flat, dead expression in his eye. This man was evil, pure evil.

“It’s not for sale,” Felicity responded, her voice shaking but firm. She gave herself a mental pat on the back.

“Tsk, tsk, Miss Smoak. Everything and everyone is for sale.”

“It’s not and I’m not. And it’s been so long, I doubt I even remember the entire line of code,” she lied. Lucas Hunt reached out and slapped her. She gasped, putting her hands to her face. She had never been hit before, by anyone. Not even a spanking from her mother.

“Do not lie,” he said harshly. “You recall every bit of that virus. And you will give it to me.”

Felicity’s hands shook as she lowered them back to her side. She stood tall, almost daring him to hit her again. She would not give him her virus.

“No,” she said, her voice strong despite the tears threading her words. “Kill me, torture me, do your worst. My answer is, and will remain,no.”

Felicity wasn’t sure how much longer her bravado would hold out. Lucas studied her and took a step back.

“To kill you would be counter-productive. You will give me that virus, Miss Smoak. In fact, I guarantee that you will be begging to give me your virus. Perhaps I will kill you quickly afterwards. Perhaps not. Just remember, what happens next? Your doing. All of it.”

Lucas Hunt ran an finger down the cheek he slapped and Felicity flinched away. He turned, leaving her apartment, closing the door softly behind him. The red sniper lights disappeared and Felicity’s phone powered back on.

With shaky fingers, she pulled up Oliver’s name on speed dial. Felicity was about to hit send when she realized that Lucas could be watching her. Or monitoring her calls. He could try to hurt Oliver to get her to give him the virus. She pulled up Diggle’s number but didn’t hit send either. Diggle wasn’t any safer than Oliver. The two people that were the closest thing she had to family, who were her greatest strength, were also her greatest weakness.

No, she decided, she wouldn’t tell them. Not yet. She could handle this. Lucas Hunt couldn’t kill her, not without her virus. So maybe, she thought, she could give him something that looks like the original virus. Only, what could she use to keep him from killing her afterwards? Felicity’s mind spun in circles as she paced back and forth, chewing on her thumb. Her thoughts were going in a million directions, unable to focus on the problem at hand. She was completely out of her element. She took a breath. And then another. She needed to plan.

Felicity walked back towards her bedroom. Toeing off her shoes, she sat on the edge of the bed. Oliver’s scent swirled around her and she wrapped her arms around her, clutching the soft fabric of Oliver’s shirt in her hands.. Sliding under her covers, she pulled the comforter up high pulling the neck of the shirt over her nose, inhaling Oliver’s scent. She breathed him in as she stared out into the darkness of her room. She was out of her element.

“What am I going to do?” she whispered into the dark. There was no answer. Just the silence of her life pressing in on her, driving home that she was truly alone.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver, Diggle, and Felicity continue to reconnect as they plan their next move. Oliver and Felicity come to an understanding about their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so close to finishing this! Thank you all so much for reading and your thoughtful comments.
> 
> I spent the last two weeks re-reading and learning so much. I see where I veered off-track, plot holes, dangling threads that I never took up again, and (yikes!) a significant amount of grammar errors! Thanks for seeing past all those to keep reading.
> 
> I already have an idea for a new story. I have this rule though....I must finish what I'm working on first. I'm too "rigid" to work on multiple stories at one time! LOL!
> 
> Anyway, I'm thinking two, maybe three chapters left!

“Oh my God,” Felicity groaned, leaning back in what she considered their booth at Big Belly Burger. And it was _their_ booth. Perfectly situated in the back corner of the restaurant, tucked away from other booths, it was the booth they commandeered whenever they came to eat. No one dared stay in their booth whenever they walked in. It was as if this silent message had gone out to everyone that ate at Big Belly Burger. If these three individuals walk in and you’re sitting in their booth, pick up your food and leave. Of course, it may have had something to do with how Diggle or Oliver would loom over people until they left the booth. Felicity grinned at the memory. Diggle smiled in response, knowing exactly what she was thinking.

“That good, huh?” Diggle smiled as he pushed a basket of fries towards Felicity. She shoved it back, but not before she grabbed a few.

“So good,” she responded, before downing the rest of her java milkshake.

“What did you order me?” Oliver asked as he slid into the booth beside Felicity.

“Well, I did order you a double bacon cheeseburger with fries,” Diggle said, but then gestured toward Felicity. Oliver looked at the basket in front of Felicity and then laughed.

“Let me guess, she only ordered fries, but when the burger came…”

“She ate half before polishing off the rest,” Diggle finished. Both men laughed as Felicity threw a wadded up napkin at Diggle.

She shrugged before picking up another fry.

“I was hungrier than I thought. Scaring the pants off Cooper gave me quiet the appetite. Don’t worry, Oliver,” she reassured him, “I placed another order for you.”

Looking across the diner, she waved at their waitress who immediately came over with a burger hot off the grill.

“Double bacon cheeseburger with fries,” she said. “Can I get you anything else?”

Oliver shook his head and took a big bite. He nudged Felicity with his arm and she gave him a little smile. She settled back in the booth, her thigh pressed against his. He smiled back at her and winked. 

“No tail from QC?” Oliver asked, taking the napkin Felicity offered him. Wiping his mouth, he took another huge bite of his burger. So good, he thought.

“No, and we took the long way, to include a few streets that were empty of traffic this time of day,” Diggle replied. “Any fall out at QC after our encounter with Cooper?”

Diggle ate the last of the fries and took a long sip of his shake. After leaving QC, the three separated, with Oliver remaining behind to monitor any fall out. Despite Felicity’s protests that she was too nervous to eat, they arranged to meet at Big Belly Burger.

“Nothing at QC. But Cooper left almost immediately afterwards.”

“Probably went straight to Lucas,” Felicity mused, absently picking a fry to pieces. When the fry was gone, she moved on to a straw wrapper. Oliver place a hand over hers, stopping the nervous gesture.

“I don’t know why I’m nervous. I don’t get nervous anymore. Except, well, I get nervous when I’m alone with Oliver. But not scared nervous, more excited nervous,” Felicity blushed as Diggle smiled and an expression of pure arrogance crossed Oliver's face.  She shook her head, “God…I don’t do this…this ramble thing anymore…I’m always calm. Very focused. But…” Felicity trailed off as Oliver’s hand squeezed hers. She kept her eyes fixed firmly on their hands.

“Felicity,” Oliver said and waited for her to look up at him. When she finally did, he smiled gently at her.

“It’s going to be okay.”

She nodded wanting to leave it at that but she couldn’t. She needed to hear it. “How do you know?”

“Because it’s us. You. Me. Diggle.”

Felicity searched Oliver’s face, seeing nothing but his confidence and firm belief in them as a team. She turned to Diggle who nodded in agreement. Felicity took a deep breath; letting the steady presence of the two men anchor her. It was a fact she couldn’t deny; as a team, they were a formidable force.

“Okay,” she said. “Okay.”

Felicity pulled out her tablet and pulled up Cooper’s banking information. She noted that a large transfer was made approximately thirty minutes ago. It matched the pattern that Felicity identified two years ago. Cooper was paid to affect action. And he was paid very well for it.

“Cooper received a wire transfer for half a million dollars a half hour ago. I’m going to guess he’s received his marching orders. He’ll receive another half million when he completes the job, or, in other words, when he brings me to Lucas.”

“Still not happy about this plan of yours, Felicity,” Oliver said grumpily.

“There has to be another way,” Diggle argued. “Some way that doesn’t involve delivering you straight into the hands of a psychopath.”

“There is no other way. Lucas needs me, my virus. I’m the only one that has what he wants. And we need that device he keeps close to burn out his servers.”

“We could take Lucas, force him to give us the device,” Oliver said, searching for any way to avoid Felicity being anywhere close to the madman. But she was already shaking her head.

“Lucas has every contingency in place in event he is taken. You need to trust me on this. He will not hurt me until he has the virus. Besides, you’ll come for me before that can even happen. And I’d like to think that Lucas wouldn’t hurt his own daughter.

Felicity paused before adding, “But I’m not that naïve. I’m nothing to him.”

There was a world of old hurt buried in those words. Diggle reached across the table to take Felicity’s hand.

“You mean everything to us. We are your family, Felicity, chosen by you. That is a loyalty and a power that cannot be born into.”

Felicity squeezed Diggle’s hand, his words a soothing balm to the child inside her that still wondered at her father’s abandonment. It was something she accepted years ago, but acceptance didn’t mean that it didn’t still occasionally hurt.

“Back to the topic of you serving yourself up to Lucas Hunt on a platter...You’re putting a lot of faith in us being able to find you,” Diggle remarked, “Especially since we have no idea when or how he’ll take you. Even if we tried to put a tracker on you, Lucas Hunt is too good to let it get anywhere close to him.”

Felicity looked at Diggle in surprise.

“Of course I have faith in you and Oliver. If there is one thing I’ve never forgotten is that you will always come for me. I spent the last five years just barely saying a few steps ahead of you both. I know you’ll come for me.”

It would seem that this dinner was filled with revelations from everyone tonight. Oliver felt Felicity’s words to his very soul. That despite their history and the pain he inadvertently inflicted upon her, she never wavered in her faith in him to keep her safe, to never give up on her. Looking at Diggle, he saw the same depth of emotion in the other man’s eyes. Yeah, this was definitely a family dinner and a good one.

“Cooper is going to take me...or at least be responsible for organizing my “kidnapping” since he’s too lazy to really do anything himself...and I’m pretty sure I could take him if it came down to a fight,” Felicity added, tilting her head thoughtfully. “And he knows it, too. In fact, I think he’s scared of me.”

There was a note of pride in her voice causing Diggle and Oliver to both laugh.

“He’d be foolish not to...I know how you took that guard out at Anatoly’s home. He’s still recovering,” Oliver laughed. Felicity gave a dainty shrug as she sipped her shake.

“It would make sense for you to follow me, have people watching me and when they do take me, follow as much as you can, but you need to be ahead of me. And Cooper is going to tell us exactly where you need to be.”

Laughter fading, Diggle and Oliver looked at Felicity in confusion. Felicity smiled, and flipped her tablet around, her nail tapping the screen.

“It’s all about the money. Cooper is going to have a sudden philanthropic urge and begin donating millions to charity. He’ll be begging to give me the location before I’m done.”

Diggle nodded, his brow furrowed in thought.

“Money is the key to this guy?” Oliver asked.

Felicity nodded. “It’s always about money when it comes to Cooper and no one can come close to matching what Lucas pays Cooper for the odd job. Cooper is too afraid of Lucas to sell him out, but the money is just additional incentive to keep Cooper compliant.”

Diggle leaned forward, resting his hands on the table.

“So we go after Cooper tonight?”

Felicity shook her head. “No. Tomorrow morning. And we don’t go ‘after’ him. We arrange a very civilized business meeting tomorrow morning. One Cooper won’t even know he has until he walks into his office and finds us waiting.”

“What makes you think that Lucas won’t come for you tonight?” Diggle inquired.

“Because it doesn’t fit his flair for the dramatic. He’ll want the stage, so to speak. Really make an impression, drive home that he can get to me now that I’ve stepped out of the shadows.”

The group was quiet for a moment. Felicity glanced between Diggle and Oliver, watching as they mentally weighed the pros and cons of her plan. It was not the strongest plan, she was fully aware of the weaknesses, but when dealing with the number of unknowns that come with Lucas Hunt, it was their best plan.

Oliver rubbed a finger across the cracked linoleum top of the table. Letting Felicity out of his sight was a bitter pill to swallow but other than the obvious flaws they all recognized, her plan was solid. He trusted she knew what she was doing; he didn’t trust Cooper, though, to be reliable or honest.

“I still say we put a tracker on you,” Oliver finally said, the only indication of his agreement.

“It will be removed before I get anywhere near Lucas.”

“Don’t you have some handy tracker that looks like a button or compact?” Diggle asked, half-joking after seeing Felicity’s lipstick USB device.

“It’s not ready. It was harder than I thought to develop something that couldn’t be removed if someone was forced to abandon their belongings or change their clothes. It’s a skin patch, practically flat, easy to miss in a pat down. The electronics though are proving to be a bit troublesome.”

The silence that followed had Felicity looking up from her tablet to find both men looking at her in awe.

“What? I was bored between jobs.”

Both Oliver and Diggle shook their heads.

“She was bored,” Diggle offered, raising his hands up.

“So she thought she’d create state of the art spy gear,” Oliver responded dryly.

“It was a ‘bit troublesome’ though,” Diggle continued, receiving another wadded up napkin in the face from Felicity. But she was laughing at their teasing; a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach, a feeling that told her she was where she belonged.

=================================

It was just after dark by the time Oliver pulled up in front of her condo. She stared her building, the small lamp she left on in the living room glowing softly in welcome. An A.R.G.U.S. agent stepped out and came over to the car.

“All clear, Mr. Queen. We just swept Miss Smoak’s condo, secured all entrances and have an agent inside to keep it clear until Miss Smoak enters. Agents will remain on watch from the outside, one agent inside.”

“No,” Felicity interrupted, “No agent inside.”

“Felicity,” Oliver began, but she held a hand up.

“No,” she repeated stubbornly.

Oliver sighed and then turned back to the agent.

“Keep the agent inside until Miss Smoak enters. Then assign the agent as a roving watch to cover any blind spots.”

“Yes, Sir.” The agent nodded at Felicity and moved out, speaking into his comms unit.

“Felicity...”

“I don’t want some stranger in my condo with me, Oliver.”

“I get it, but your safety comes first.”

“The plan is to let Lucas take me. An agent won’t dissuade him if he wanted to try tonight, and that’s just one more body on my conscience and I can’t have another. There are one too many as it is,” Felicity said.

“But we aren’t ready for him to take you tonight, and if we are wrong and he does come for you tonight, we need to be able to have some way of finding you.”

“Then you stay with me.”

It was like she pulled the pin on a grenade and was holding it out to Oliver. The idea of spending the night with Felicity sent all sorts of images through Oliver’s mind. He immediately remembered that one night in the Foundry, the feel of her skin against his fingertips. He ached in a way he didn’t think was possible. The air thickened, the tension between them vibrating. Felicity licked her lips as she realized the meaning of her words. She wouldn’t explain, she couldn’t because she wasn’t sure if she meant it in any other way than how it sounded. The idea of being alone with Oliver, in her home, was intoxicating. Oliver clenched the steering wheel and she laid a hand on his arm, feeling the muscle flex beneath her touch. He relaxed his grip only to slide his hand into hers, linking their fingers together.

“Do you really want me to stay with you?” he asked a thread of hope in his voice.

“Yes,” Felicity responded immediately. “I don’t know what we are or where we are going, but I do know that I don’t want to be without you. I trust you more than anyone I’ve ever known. Despite everything, I’ve never trusted another as much as you. So yes, I want you to stay with me.”

Oliver held Felicity’s gaze for a moment before nodding. Lifting their hands to his lips, he kissed her hand, keeping his lips against her skin a second longer. She felt the flick of his tongue as he tasted her skin and she shivered in response. Oliver reluctantly released her hand.

“Okay. Go inside, lock up. I’ll be back.”

Felicity looked at him in surprise, but merely nodded, slipping out of the car. It would make sense for him to not announce his presence, in case Lucas had men watching her. Or perhaps so A.R.G.U.S. wouldn’t know the extent of their relationship. Either way, she wasn’t going to argue with him.

Inside, Felicity locked the door behind the departing agent. Leaning her forward against it for a minute, she inhaled the blessed solitude, suddenly grateful that Oliver had given her this time. Then it clicked. He really had given her this time. A few minutes to herself before the events they set in motion earlier today took over her life. Shaking her head, she headed back to her room, where she quickly changed into a pair of grey leggings and the oversized, faded blue t-shirt she was never without. Fixing herself a cup of hot cocoa, Felicity settled on the couch and began reviewing the code she created to attach to her virus.

The code would trigger the wireless connection she added to Lucas’ servers and then send her virus directly to those same servers, burning through them and sending the data straight to every major law enforcement agency world-wide. Felicity was painstakingly going through each line of code when she heard a noise coming from her bedroom. Pausing in what she was doing to listen for a minute; she shook her head in amusement and bent back over her tablet.

“Oliver,” she said without looking up, “I see you still like to tease the A.R.G.U.S. agents.”

“Well, I don’t want them to be bored. Frankly, I’m disappointed. No one spotted me.”

Felicity sighed and tossed him her phone. On it was a text from Diggle.

 

_F – tell O they spotted him before he even hit your street and followed him – D_

 

“Oh,” was all he said, causing Felicity to laugh as she put her tablet away. That’s when she noticed the file in his hand. It was a fairly large file, barely held closed by a rubber band, the string that tied the file together long frayed and rendered useless. Felicity swallowed.

“What’s that?” she asked, already knowing.

“What I never had the chance to show you.”

Oliver handed it over to Felicity before leaving the room. Heading into the kitchen, Oliver glanced over his shoulder to see her staring at the folder in her lap. Opening the fridge, he saw she had already stocked it with the beers she used to keep on hand for whenever he or Diggle stopped by. Habits, he thought to himself, popping the top off one of the beers. He peeked into the living room to see her plucking at the rubber band. It snapped back to the file, the dull sound of rubber hitting the cover echoing in the quiet room. Finally, she took the rubber band off and opened the file. Oliver moved back into the kitchen until he could no longer see her and leaned against the counter to wait.

========================

Felicity stared down at the file, opened to the first page. Through suddenly blurred vision, she saw what appeared to be a copy of her student I.D. photo. She could just make out biographical data before she closed the file again, resting her hands on the cover. She closed her eyes.

This was the file. The information Oliver gathered on her before approaching her with a bullet-ridden laptop. It was the file that had him choosing her from any others he researched. It was the file that had him decide she was the one to help him find the virus and Lucas Hunt. It was the file he never told her about, the one he once tried to show her, before her whole life fell apart. And it didn’t matter. None of it mattered. It didn’t change the way she felt about him. It didn’t change how much she trusted him or how safe she felt with him. It changed nothing. It was part of their history, what made them stronger. They fought their way back to each other and while time was wasted, it was time well-spent. She could berate herself for not realizing five years ago, but she recognized that it wasn’t something her younger self was ready to accept. Opening her eyes, she saw that Oliver had re-entered the living room. He hovered by the door to the kitchen.

“I didn’t read it,” Felicity said. “I don’t need to.”

Oliver looked from her to the file. “I don’t understand.”

Felicity stood up. Placing the file on the coffee table, she turned to him, taking his hands in hers.

“It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter why you actually walked into my office all those years ago. It never should have mattered. What mattered was that you did.”

Felicity slipped her arms around Oliver’s waist, pressing her body to his. Laying her head on his chest, she let the warmth of his body and the steady beat of his heart soothe her. After a moment’s hesitation, Oliver tightened his arms around Felicity, and he pressed his lips to her head. He pulled her impossibly closer, feeling every tantalizing curve of her body. Sweeping a hand up her back to pull her head back, he suddenly paused. Frowning, he pulled away and looked at the t-shirt she was wearing.

“Is this–”

“Your t-shirt from that night?” Felicity finished, looking down at the shirt she had never given back. “It is indeed.”

“You still have it...” Oliver ran his hand over the soft fabric. It was so threadbare it was a miracle...wait a minute, he thought. And then he smiled. Felicity smiled back, the invitation in her eyes spurring him into action.

He was still smiling as he bent his head and captured Felicity’s mouth in a kiss that had her toes curling in anticipation. She returned the kiss with interest, her hands sweeping across his shoulders. In one motion, Oliver had her shirt over her head, tossing it onto the couch behind her. He flattened his hand against her ass, pressing her into him, while his other hand swept up to cup her breast through the lace demi-cup bra. His thumb brushed over her nipple and Felicity moaned into his mouth.

Needing to feel his skin on hers, she pulled back from Oliver’s kiss and tugged at the hem of his shirt. Oliver pulled it over his head and the shirt joined hers on the couch. He tugged her back into his arms and he groaned as he felt the soft silk of her skin against his. Felicity rose onto her toes, deepening their kiss, mouths hot and wet as their tongues dueled. Oliver suddenly picked her up, and walked them into the bedroom. Laying her on the bed, he covered her body with his, his hips pressing into hers. Felicity hissed, her body arching against his.

“Felicity?” Oliver asked as he kissed his way down her neck. He began nibbling at the swell of her breasts until his mouth closed over her nipple through her bra.

“Yes?” she gasped, her hands on his shoulders, fingernails digging into his skin before soothing the scratches with soft caresses.

“We need to wait,” he murmured, his attention moving to her other breast as fingers played with the waistband of her her leggings.

“Yes,” she breathed in agreement, “but we can play.”

Felicity felt Oliver’s laughter that quickly faded into a grown as she palmed him through his jeans. She unsnapped the button and slid her hand inside. He jerked against her hand once, and then again.

“Oh yeah,” he said as he took her mouth in another kiss. “Let’s play.

 ========================

Felicity woke slowly, smiling sleepily as memories from the night before seeped into her conscience. Playing with Oliver was enormously addictive. The feel of his lips nibbling at her jaw, the sweep of his tongue against hers, his taste, his scent, all of it had her aching for more. Felicity blushed as she recalled the way Oliver’s fingers plucked at her causing her to pant heavy with need. His touch had sent her spiraling out of control. She smiled in satisfaction remembering how he groaned deeply when she fisted him or his shout as he came, her name on his lips. Turning in the bed to face him, she slowly opened her eyes to find him gone and the room flooded with light. She frowned in confusion. Sitting up, she turned to the clock only to find a note covering the time.

 

 

_You’re out of coffee. Be back soon. With bagels._

 

There was a small arrow aimed for a tiny heart sketched on the bottom as a signature. Felicity smiled and pressed the note to her lips. Shaking her head at her own foolishness, she looked at the clock and frowned again. It read 10:30. Grabbing her phone, she double checked the time, 10:31. She looked at the note again, Oliver’s side of the bed – because it was his side of the bed – and then the time. Biting her lip, she quickly called Oliver. It went to voice mail. She sent him a text and waited. One minute. Two minutes. Nothing. 

Felicity jumped out of bed and pulled on a robe. She called Diggle as she walked into the bathroom.

“Good morning, Felicity,” Diggle answered, a smile in his voice.

“Is Oliver with you?” she asked, skipping any pleasantries. She squirted toothpaste onto her brush.

“No. He sent me a text this morning at 0730 to say all was fine. He was getting coffee and bagels and heading back to your place.”

“0730?” Felicity said, her hand clenching around the tube of toothpaste, sending a line of sparkling blue gel into the sink. It winked up at her, the sunlight from the window hitting it at the perfect angle. She stared at, the way the whitening crystals shimmered in the morning sun.

“He’s not there,” Diggle responded and it wasn’t a question. At that moment, Felicity’s phone beeped and she saw she had a text from Oliver. Relief flooded through her.

“Hold on. He just sent me a text. I’m going to kill him,” Felicity said. Pulling her phone from her ear, she accessed the text. Panic bubbled in her throat and a yawning black pit opened in her stomach, sucking the oxygen from her.

“John? John? They have him. They have him. Lucas took Oliver, John. They took Oliver! It was supposed to be me, John, me! They took Oliver!”

Felicity slid to the floor of her bathroom, her phone clattering to the floor beside her. She could barely hear John’s voice over the roar in her ears, yelling at her that he was on his way. Felicity’s fingers grasped for her phone and she stared at the image of Oliver on her screen, beaten and tied with chains to some sort of beam, his toes barely skimming the floor of wherever it was he was being held. Felicity’s heart hammered against her chest as fear threatened to control her. She cupped the phone in her hands, pressing her forehead against it. She held the phone tightly.

“I will find you,” she whispered, “I will find you.”

She took several deep breaths and willed that rigid control she had perfect in the last five years back to the surface. It’s amazing, she thought absently, as she felt that icy fortress of hers start to assemble. For years this was second nature, this building of walls, but in just a matter of weeks, she found she was struggling. It was love, she thought. It opened you to a world of hurt, a weapon to some, strength for others.

“You made a mistake, Lucas Hunt,” Felicity said out loud as she pushed herself up from the floor. “And you will pay.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucas revisits Felicity and Felicity discovers the price of her refusal to cooperate.
> 
> EDIT: I saw some formatting issues that didn't translate when I uploaded so I fixed those this morning (October 28, 2015).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank you all again. I know that I do that before every new chapter, but I'm not sure I will ever be able to express how much having you all read my story means to me. I posted this story after agonizing over my own fear of putting myself out there. I appreciate the genuine like of my story, and the constructive criticism I've received. Every single one of you has been so kind, making my first experience in the fan-fiction world wonderful. I may have to come back....

_Five Years Earlier_

The clock ticked interminably towards the end of the day. When the day finally did end, Felicity was ready to scream in frustration. After a sleepless night and non-stop internal debate of whether to tell Oliver or not about Lucas Hunt, Felicity arrived at work only to sit uselessly in her office, staring into space. Her mind refused to cooperate; instead it ran in circles, every thought as to how to deal with Lucas fraught with holes. Not to mention just a bit of danger. These were issues she was more accustomed to talking out with Oliver and John, but the idea that they could be hurt because of her had her shying away from calling either one. This stupid virus that her stupid mind created was her problem.

A tap on her window had her yelping in surprise. Looking up, she saw Thea grinning at her in amusement. Felicity looked around and realized that in her daze, she had driven straight to Verdant, parking out front rather than the rear, where she could sneak into the Foundry. Glancing at her watch, she saw that it was well past six. Shit, she thought, how long have I been sitting here? Oliver is probably waiting inside. Lowering the window, Felicity quickly thought of an excuse as to why she was there.

“I’m so stupid,” she began. “I didn’t sleep well last night and for some reason drove here instead of home.”

Felicity gave a mental wince at how fake and hollow the excuse sounded. But Thea didn’t seem to notice.

“Well, your mistake is my gain. The club’s system is down and I tried every trick you left for me and nothing is working. So get your cute ass inside and help me. Otherwise, its cash only and you know how well that does not work in a bar.”

Felicity sighed as she stared up at Thea’s face. She wanted to refuse, but she couldn’t. Heaving another sigh, she raised her window and shut off the car. Stepping out of the car, she pretended to glare at Thea.

“Do you not see these epic rings beneath my eyes? Why would you do this to me? And does Oliver know the system is down?” Felicity asked grumpily, trying to confirm somehow that Oliver was inside.

“He’s not here. I ran into him as I was leaving the house and he said he was leaving town for a few days. Something about visiting some vineyard or brewery...besides, even if he was here, we both know he’d be calling you anyway.”

Felicity frowned. Oliver never used the vineyard or brewery excuse unless A.R.G.U.S. was sending him out of town on a job and he couldn’t reach her to leak some fantastical story to the press. Pulling her phone from her bag as she followed Thea inside, Felicity saw that at some point on her drive over, she missed a text from Oliver.

_On a job. No need for comms. Back in two. Meet then?_

Felicity sighed with relief. That gave her a few days to think through this situation with Lucas Hunt and to come up with a plan. If she couldn’t by the time Oliver returned, she would just have to suck it up and ask for help. She sent him a quick text back, agreeing. To her surprise, Oliver sent another text.

_Don’t forget. Dinner, movie. Maybe some kisses? I really liked kissing you, Felicity._

Felicity blushed at the subtle reminder of how they spent part of their night yesterday. A small smile tugged at Felicity’s lips and she felt herself relaxing for the first time since finding Lucas in her apartment. This was Oliver. A soft sound had her head snapping up and she realized that Thea had moved over to see what had caught Felicity’s attention.

“So, my brother likes kissing you?” Thea asked after reading the text. She stepped away from Felicity and folded her arms in front of her. Felicity looked at Thea uncertainly. Thea’s expression was serious.

“Thea...” Felicity began but then just fell silent. Thea was not oblivious to the tension between Felicity and Oliver, but with Oliver continuing to live his “playboy” lifestyle, Thea had finally had it. One evening, after the bar had closed, Thea had walked in from the storage room to find Oliver and Felicity staring at each other over a beer. The bar was between them, but Oliver had put his hand on her wrist as she set the beer in front of him, and they had simply lost all awareness of their surroundings. It had been a rough night and as was their way, they comforted each other without words, using the small gestures that had become second nature to them. A hand resting on an arm, the act of kindness in serving a drink...it was always the little things. But Thea, who remained unaware of Oliver’s double-life was outraged and read him the riot act. Calling Oliver every name known to man, including some Felicity had never heard off, Thea had declared Felicity off limits to Oliver’s “man-whore” ways. Stunned into silence, Oliver had retreated but not before Felicity caught the look of devastation on his face that his sister thought so low of him.

“He could really hurt you, Felicity. He goes through so many women, and he still sees Laurel from time to time. She’s so caught up in trying to be the next Mrs. Queen; she’s willing to overlook his philandering ways. He’s my brother and I love him. But I love you too and right now, he doesn’t deserve you. Maybe someday when he actually grows up and learns to be a man. But not right now.”

In that very moment, Felicity knew that she couldn’t let Thea think the worst of Oliver. But neither could she reveal Oliver’s secret. It wasn’t her secret to tell. A truth surrounded in lies, she thought to herself. This was the life she led now. She needed to protect Thea from A.R.G.U.S. and the low-lives that Oliver dealt with, for Oliver and, Felicity admitted, for herself.

“He’s not dating any of those women, Thea. It’s an act, a ruse, to keep your parents off his back, to keep the media in check and...” Felicity took a deep breath and then twisted the truth, “...to protect me. From the press, your parents, my boss. After all, my company works for QC and I personally handle the QC IT portfolio. You know how that looks to people who don’t know me.”

It wasn’t a complete lie. She and Oliver did limit how much time they spent out in public together, and were rarely without John. It was for her protection, but not because they were dating but because of the work they did together. Her working for QC was convenient, and explained the amount of time she spent there, even when she wasn’t there on QC business. A twisted truth, Felicity thought. It didn’t make her feel better about lying.

Thea wasn’t quite buying the story yet. She looked at Felicity in disbelief.

“What about the host of models he had a party with at the Central City Plaza last Saturday night? How was that fake? There were photos? How are any of his exploits fake?”

“I leaked the story and doctored photos to the press to hide the fact we were out to dinner in the Warehouse District. Most women won’t bother correcting an incorrect story about spending time with Oliver Queen because they want that publicity,” Felicity replied promptly, relieved to give an explanation that was mostly true. The only part that was a lie was that they weren’t at dinner. Oliver and John had been on a job for A.R.G.U.S. but in Coast City. She had been in the Foundry, on comms.

“How long has this been going on?” Thea asked, still suspicious. But Felicity could see her wavering. Thinking quickly, she thought back to the last “real” date Oliver went on. It was one of those moments where his world and hers collided. Oliver had gone home with his date and failed to recognize, probably due to the amount of alcohol he had consumed, that the woman lived in the same building as Felicity. The following morning, when he was attempting to sneak out of the woman’s condo, he had quite literally run into Felicity on her way to work. The shame and regret on his face was seared in Felicity’s memory.

_“Felicity...” Oliver mumbled as he steadied her with one hand, “I...um...”_

_“Did you even recognize my building?” Felicity asked, her heart hammering with anger and hurt. She pulled her arm away, and picked up the keys she dropped when she ran into Oliver’s chest. Her nose wrinkled at the smell of stale perfume and alcohol. She had no right to be angry, but her heart wasn’t listening._

_“No! I’m sorry, if I had...we had a few drinks, and I...I...”_

_“Are you sneaking out? Did you even say good-bye to her?” Felicity’s outrage transferred to the poor woman waking up alone._

_“Felicity...I woke up, and when I looked out the window I recognized the neighborhood...”_

_“Oh...I see. You thought you could leave before I saw you? It’s seven in the morning, Oliver. Normal people are leaving for work at this time!”_

_“Felicity...”_

_Felicity stared at Oliver, not sure why she felt she had this right to be so angry at him. They were not together. She had no claim, but whenever he did this, he drove himself harder on jobs for A.R.G.U.S., barely staying on the right side of that line she drew in the sand when she first joined the team. It was almost as if he was punishing himself. Felicity stirred in realization. He was punishing himself. Why, she did not know, but she suddenly realized that every time he went out on a date, every time he “played” Oliver Queen, he punished himself afterwards. She took a step closer to him and she saw the surprise in his eyes as she cupped his cheek in her hand._

_“Oliver, you have to stop doing this to yourself. You deserve so much more.”_

_Felicity gently smoothed her thumb across his cheek before she turned and walked out of her building._

That had been three months ago, and since then, every story was planted or the dates had been superficial with John or Felicity providing cover stories for him to end the date at dinner.

“About three months. But the other night, that was the first night we kissed.”

“But he still sees Laurel,” Thea said.

“Laurel is his oldest friend, Thea. You know that. He grew up with her. To shut her out of his life simply because he isn’t interested in her romantically isn’t Oliver’s way. At his core, Oliver is a kind man. A good man.”

Thea sighed. “I don’t want him to hurt you. And honestly, it’s more about me than him...or you,” Thea laughed. “If he’s an ass, then you might leave. And Felicity, I couldn’t bear to lose your friendship.”

Felicity looked at Thea in surprise. “You would never lose my friendship over your brother. We both know he can be a dick,” Felicity smiled at Thea’s giggle, “But I’m not. And if he messed anything up, it has nothing to do with you.”

Thea studied her for a moment longer and then let out a squeal while throwing her arms around Felicity. Felicity staggered back, laughing. She hugged Thea back.

“Finally! Oh my God, I didn’t think he’d ever get his shit together. I mean, it was so obvious you are perfect for him. He’s been way too serious since he was kicked out of his last school...it took him over a year to come home and he just man-brooded all over the place. But then you came along, and he just lights up. The smiles come more often. Even laughter!”

Thea laughed again and after another quick squeeze, let Felicity go. She headed for the bar, slipping around it. When she turned back around, she was unexpectedly serious again. Reaching across the bar, she took Felicity’s hand.

“I’m so glad, Felicity. I adore you. You’re the sister I never had and didn’t know I needed until you and Claire sat at my bar. I knew there was something between you and Oliver and I’m glad he finally sees it, too.”

Giving Felicity’s hand one last squeeze, she turned to the monitor on the bar to face Felicity’s side.

“Now, fix my computers please?”

Felicity let the smile fall from her face once Thea left the room. A sister. As an only child, Felicity had always wanted siblings. Her father had left her and her mother when she was only six, and her memories of him had faded over time. Her mother died while she was in college. Felicity had no family left, and it never hit her, until right now, how much she missed having some semblance of a family. Yet, somehow, Oliver and John had become her family with Thea quickly worming her way into her heart. Felicity could not let Lucas hurt them. They were her family. She needed to protect him, and the only way that she could do that was by giving Lucas the virus. What on earth was she going to do?  
======================  
Two days later, Felicity was no closer to finding a solution and fear was setting in. Lucas had not approached her since that night in her apartment, but Felicity wasn’t foolish enough to believe that he had walked away. She knew she was being watched. She could feel it. She stopped staying at her place, sleeping at the Foundry instead. She felt safer there, able to sleep even if it was only for a few hours at a time. It was just after five and she was supposed to meet Oliver at the Foundry. She had to admit, she needed his help. John’s help. Maybe even A.R.G.U.S., she thought, as she walked out of Jitters with a large coffee.

“Trouble sleeping, Miss Smoak?” drawled a smoothly cultured voice from her left. Felicity jumped and promptly dropped her coffee. The lid sprung open and coffee sprayed over a pair of incredibly shiny black oxfords. Her eyes widened as Lucas fell in step beside her. He motioned to her coffee and a man came from behind her and quickly threw her cup in the trash. Felicity froze mid-step, fear squeezing her heart.

“I suggest you keep walking, Miss Smoak,” Lucas murmured under his breath. Felicity numbly followed his direction, glancing around frantically. There were cars on the road, but this stretch of sidewalk remained empty.

“Have you had time to consider my offer?” Lucas asked, gripping her elbow as if they were out together for a casual stroll. She attempted to pull away, but he only gripped tighter. Felicity’s stomach rolled and she suddenly had this image of herself vomiting all over Lucas Hunt’s fine overcoat. She suppressed the sudden wild urge to giggle.

“I have nothing to consider,” she said, her bravado masking her fear.

“Oh but you do. You see, things will get ugly. Simply give me what I want, and I go away.”

This time Felicity laughed and caught by surprise, Lucas’ grip on her elbow relaxed. She took the opportunity to pull away and take several steps back. Since meeting Oliver two years earlier, she was never so glad that their relationship, their friendship, was well hidden.

“You won’t ever go away. You will haunt me. You can’t kill me because what you want is in my mind. You can’t torture me, because what you want is in my mind and you can’t risk breaking it. So you will never go away. You will haunt me, showing up to scare me and what you don’t know yet is that I will never, never give you my virus. So try to get ugly with me. Just try. My answer remains the same. No!”

The coldest of smiles crossed Lucas’ face as he studied Felicity. There was a small hint of pride on his face that puzzled her.

“Do you think I don’t know about your work with Oliver Queen and John Diggle? That you help them and A.R.G.U.S. I invested a significant amount of money and time in you, Miss Smoak. I know everything that you do and who you spend your time with.”

“Why are you so invested in me? What makes me any more special than the thousands of other brilliants minds that exist out there? Any one of them can create a virus like mine.” Felicity took another step back, into the street. Cars drove by her, so close she could feel their heat against her back. Lucas frowned as he saw how close to being hit by a car she was. That’s twice she surprised him. Clearly, Lucas thought, he underestimated Felicity Smoak.

“It appears you need to learn the hard way,” Lucas said, taking a step back and motioning with one hand to his left. A black SUV came up. He walked over to the vehicle before turning back.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

As he drove away, Felicity turned and vomited into the street.

===========================

Felicity only had a vague memory of going home and changing her clothes. She remembered brushing her teeth, and then using mouth rinse to remove the taste of bile from her mouth. She drove over to the Foundry, this time remembering to approach it from the back. Parking, she saw the van was back. She rested her head a minute on the steering wheel. After a moment, she pushed herself out of the car and went inside. She could hear Diggle and Oliver talking, laughing really, as she entered. Good, she thought, they are both here. When Felicity entered the room, her eyes widened in surprise at what greeted her. They stood across from each other, a bottle of what looked like Russian vodka in between them and two shot glasses next to it.

“Um, am I interrupting?” Felicity asked wryly. Both men looked up and grinned.

“Come join us,” Diggle said, motioning her over. Felicity walked up to the table and tipped the bottle.

“Exactly how much have you all had tonight?”

“Just one,” Oliver laughed, tugging lightly on a lock of her hair. He smiled warmly at her and Felicity couldn’t help but give him a smile back. When it was the three of them, safe in their world, it was easy to forget the evil presence that had entered her life like a battering ram.

“What are you celebrating?” she asked, sniffing the vodka. She wrinkled her nose. She wanted this moment to just last forever. She had no desire to tell them about Lucas. Or the virus. Especially the virus. She was so ashamed of that damn virus.

“Teamwork,” Oliver said cheerfully. He searched around for another shot glass.

“Okay,” Felicity said, still bemused.

“It’s been two years, Felicity, since Oliver first met you. We became a team right then and there, even if you didn’t know it,” Diggle said. “Oh, by the way, I found this USB device in your hoodie just before I threw it out. Was this an extra from the last job?”

Felicity nodded, absently shoving it into the pocket of her jeans. A muffled “a-ha” came from Oliver and he stood from where he had been digging in a drawer, holding up a shot glass in triumph.

He was about to pour a shot when Felicity covered it with her hand.

“No vodka,” she said.

“That’s right. Tequila. I need to go grab a bottle from upstairs. Club is closed tonight so it should be empty.”

Oliver headed for the stairs, but Felicity stopped him.

“I’ll do it. You always grab the cheap stuff. I want Patron. Silver,” she grinned wickedly, feeling the moment carry her away from her troubles. It was going to be okay, she thought. They were a team. She, Oliver, and John would fix this problem with Lucas together.

“You know,” Oliver called after her as she climbed the stairs to the club, “Just because I own the bar we work under doesn’t mean the liquor is always on the house.”

Felicity laughed at him over her shoulder. “Please. I haven’t paid for a drink since I met Thea...they’ve been on the house for two years.”

Felicity smile lingered as that warm feeling of family she felt with Thea yesterday bubbled in her tummy. She kept smiling as Oliver and John continued to talk and laugh below. At the top of the stairs, she quietly opened the door to the basement, just in case Thea had decided to come in and go over the books. Situated by the rear entrance to the club, it allowed all of them to pretend they entered the club from the alley out back. Walking into the club, Felicity noticed Thea’s bag on the bar. Frowning, Felicity looked around and then spotted Thea outside, accepting a box of something from a delivery truck. Rushing over, Felicity opened the front door for Thea as she staggered in with the box.

“Where in the hell is my brother?” Thea demanded. “This shit is heavy and I’m pissed I had to take this delivery.”

Felicity raised a brow. “I saw his bike out back; he must be up in the office. I came in through the rear entrance. I’ll get him. Was he supposed to take the delivery?” Felicity began walking back towards the rear entrance and the stairs to the office.

“Well, since he arranged for this overnight shipment from that brewery he visited, yeah, he should be here. The club is closed tonight. My one night off this week and here I am, accepting his damn delivery.”

“Please, you were already hear, getting ready to do the books. On your night off,” Felicity teased. Thea shrugged but there was a glint of amusement in her eyes.

“You’re lucky I love you and let you get away with that,” Thea stuck her tongue out and headed to the storage room that was on the opposite side of the bar. Felicity could hear Thea muttering as she disappeared inside. As she turned to go and grab Oliver from the basement, she paused. Something wasn’t right. Turning back, she looked out the front door. The delivery truck was pulling away. There were no markings. She called Oliver on her cell.

“Do not tell me you can’t find any tequila,” he teased as a greeting.

“Oliver, did you arrange for a delivery of local brews for tonight? You know, for your cover story?”

There was silence.

“Oliver?”

“Get out of there, Felicity, get back down here. GET OUT!”

Felicity dropped her phone, hearing Diggle and Oliver running up the stairs, shouting her name. Felicity turned back to the storage room. The force of the blast hit her as she screamed Thea’s name, throwing her back into something solid. Arms closed around her, rolling her underneath a heavy body as an aftershock shook the building. Dust and rocks rained around them.

“Oliver!” Diggle’s voice shouted, before he began coughing.

“Here!” Oliver shouted back, still bent protectively over Felicity. She was coughing and crying, saying something over and over, but he couldn’t understand her. She kept trying to push herself up.

“Ssshhh, you’re safe,” he murmured, pulling her into his arms. “I’m right here. I’ve got you.”

Felicity began pushing at him, clawing at his arms. Surprised he let her go and she staggered to her feet. Blood seeped from a cut on her head, dripping down the side of her face. She stumbled towards the bar, or what was left of the bar. Half of it collapsed under the force of the blast, the other half stood at a precarious angle, ready to fall at the slightest weight. He could hear the building structure groaning under the weight of the fallen walls and roof around the storage room. From what he could tell at this distant, the blast originated in the storage room. This was meant for me, he realized. Felicity began trying to climb over rubble. Oliver didn’t understand what she was doing.

“Felicity, stop, you can’t go over there! It’s not stable!”

In the distance, sirens could be heard. Diggle crawled over the last of the rubble.

“I secured the basement,” he gasped, leaning over to catch his breath. “But we need to get outside. The rest of this place could collapse any minute now.”

Felicity was still trying to make her way across the club. She was crying, nearly hysterical. Oliver grabbed her around the waist and she screamed, kicking at him.

“Felicity! You can’t go over there!” He tried to get her to look at him. He locked his hands around her wrists, turning to Diggle for support. Diggle was staring at something on the floor, shock on his face. He looked up and at Felicity, his eyes widening in sudden comprehension. Oliver looked back down at Felicity, frowning. She kept trying to speak, and finally words started coming out.

“Deliver...truck...Thea. Thea! Thea!” Felicity was screaming again. She kept screaming Thea’s name. Oliver froze, his arms falling to his side. He looked back to Diggle who was picking up a bag from the rubble, Thea’s bag. He looked towards the storage room that was in ruins. A delivery of local brews, for his cover story, Felicity had said just before the explosion. He turned back towards the storage room, leaping over the rubble as Felicity sank to the ground, weeping. Diggle followed him, sliding down a debris field.

“Thea!” Oliver bellowed. “Thea!”

The sirens grew louder and Oliver kept shouting as Felicity wept by the ruins of the bar.

========================  
Outside, the windows of an SUV rolled up silently as the vehicle drove away. The rear passenger door opened, and Cooper climbed into the vehicle. Lucas looked over at Cooper.

“A calculated risk,” he said.

“The explosives were carefully mixed,” Cooper responded.

“She lives?”

“Yes. She’s on the floor, crying hysterically.”

“So Oliver Queen is dead?”

Cooper shifted uncomfortably before responding, “No.”

Silence thickened the tension and Cooper felt a trickle of sweat slick down his back. His palms itched and he had to struggle to remain impassive.

“You were to kill Oliver Queen with that explosive.”

“When I arrived with the delivery, he wasn’t there. Thea Queen took delivery. She’s dead.”

Lucas Hunt turned back to the ruined remains of the club. Interesting, he thought. Thea Queen was dead and Felicity Smoak was crying hysterically. Interesting indeed, he thought. His next visit just may go his way.

“One dead Queen is as good as another,” he finally said and motioned to his driver to leave.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity to the rescue!
> 
> (Do I really need to say anything more than that????)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two updates in one week....I KNOW! But the editing of this chapter just came together so quickly that instead of sitting on it until next week, I decided to share!
> 
> As always, thank you for reading. It always amazes me that people enjoy my story. A special thank you to the new readers who found me recently! I'm so glad you did!

Felicity stared at herself in the mirror. She searched inside for that icy control she perfected in the last five years but found only a burning fury. She was different now. There was no hurt or humiliation to relive from the past. There was regret and sorrow, but it was tempered with the warmth of memory, of love, of family. That was her strength. Not the cold, unfeeling woman she forced herself to be while she was gone. This person right now, this was who she was; a person who burned with emotions, who loved with every fiber of her being, who would do anything to protect her family. She was a person who would fight for the man she loved until her last dying breath.

 _I love him_ , she thought. Words she never spoke to him filtered through her thoughts. How she loved the way his brow furrowed in confusion whenever the tech talk went over his head, or how the calloused pads of his fingertips brushing against her skin caused her to shiver with desire. She loved his laughter, the way his eyes lit so brightly in genuine amusement. She loved his heart; how he felt everything so deeply; his loyalty, his trust, his mind...the way he said her name. It was these very thoughts that Felicity started building her fortress around. Only instead of walls of ice, she built walls of fiery fire.

When she stepped out of her room, Diggle spun around and then froze. She was once again dressed in black. Form fitting black pants, a black turtleneck underneath a belted black trench. Her hair was slicked back into an efficient ponytail.

“Felicity?”

Felicity met his gaze evenly and he saw the grief hiding behind the raw fury.

“Let’s go get Oliver,” was all she said. He followed her out the door, a grim smile on his face. Oh yeah, he thought, Lucas has no idea what’s he’s done. He was going to enjoy this very much.

====================

Cooper whistled softly as he walked into his apartment. Feeling smug about snagging one Oliver Queen right off the streets, Cooper decided to take the day off and treat himself to some new accessories. A new server to house the information he had begun to cipher off of Lucas’ server in QC was his newest acquisition. Scheduled to be delivered tomorrow, Cooper then arranged for delivery of a rare bottle of red wine which should be delivered any minute now. He frowned, looking at his watch. He had specifically told the retailer to delivery by noon. It was a quarter past.

“Looking for this?” 

Cooper jumped and saw Felicity in a chair at his desk, her stiletto-clad feet resting on his keyboard, one of the spiked heels crushing the keys. Her long legs were crossed at the angle. She was holding a glass of wine up to the light filtering in from the window, swirling it slowly round and round.

“How did you get in?” Cooper demanded, looking around quickly. Seeing no one, he slipped a hand into his pocket, fingering the knife he kept in there and took a step towards her. The cold press of metal to the base of his skull had him freezing in place.

Felicity didn’t bother to respond. She swung her legs down, and then poured the glass of wine all over his keyboard.

“Where’s Oliver?” she asked, as she picked up the bottle and sniffed the contents.

“How did you find this place?” Cooper asked, ignoring her question. 

Felicity gave him a look. “I taught you about shell companies back in college, Cooper. It wasn’t hard to trace this place to you. Now, where’s Oliver?”

Cooper didn’t respond. Felicity sighed, shaking her head mournfully over the bottle of wine. That quickly, she broke the bottle against his desk, wine splattering all over the computer equipment.

Cooper smirked then and shrugged.

“Go ahead, destroy what you want. I’ll just replace it.”

Felicity raised a brow, and picked up her tablet. She nodded to Diggle, who pushed Cooper into a chair and began securing him to it with duct tape.

“Oh, is this where the beatings start? I work for Lucas Hunt. I learned to take a beating the hard way.”

Diggle leaned forward and whispered in Cooper’s ears. 

“Boy, you’re gonna wish I beat you.”

Felicity looked up from her tablet.

“Cooper Alexander Seldon, social security number 232-43-7242.”

“So what?” Cooper said, tugging at the restraints that Diggle had tied around his arms.

“Don’t interrupt,” Diggle said, swatting Cooper on the back of the head.

“National Bank of the Cayman Islands, Account number 01156614327824,” Felicity continued as if Cooper had never spoken. Cooper stopped struggling and looked up at Felicity.

“Why Cooper, that’s quite a tidy sum you have in this account,” Felicity remarked. He said nothing. He just eyed her warily. Felicity’s fingers flew across her iPad.

“And that’s quite a generous donation you just made to the Glades Memorial Hospital. A one million dollar donation made in Thea Queen’s name was just what they needed to start building the new children’s ward. They plan to name it after her, you know.”

Cooper gritted his teeth so hard it was a wonder they didn’t crack.

“You bitch,” he spit out, tugging again at his bindings.

Felicity turned to face him and gave him a sugary sweet smile.

“Bitch that hacked your wifi,” she retorted. Diggle smiled in appreciation.

“Let’s see, what’s next...” Felicity mused.

“Starling City Fraternal Order of Police?” Diggle suggested, starting to get into Felicity’s method of torture.

“Excellent cause! What better way to fund their programs for orphaned children of police offers than from the man who helped contribute to the deaths of their parents? Aaaannnddd, they thank you for your one million dollar donation made in Thea Queen’s name.”

Felicity strolled past Cooper again. A fine line of sweat snaked down her back. Cooper was still quiet. Maybe she was wrong; maybe it wasn’t about the money. She made a few swipes on her keyboard and accessed Cooper’s personal server. What she saw had her smiling like the cat that swallowed the canary.

“Well, well, well...” she murmured, “What have we here?”

She studied the data a quick minute and then looked up at Cooper. Her smile was no longer smug but was full of burning rage.

“Now that your attempt at redemption is over, I think it’s time you were held accountable for your actions.”

Cooper laughed, but it wasn’t nearly as confident as his earlier attempts at bravado.

“You think losing two million dollars means anything? I’ll make that back, twice over in less than a month,” he boasted.

“Actually, now that your photograph and incriminating evidence linking you to the bombing of Verdant that killed Thea as well as several other bombings here and around Central and Coast City has been provided to the FBI, you are now the number one most wanted man on their domestic terrorist list. It’s going to be hard to who your face around town.”

Nodding again at Dig, he picked up the remote and tuned to the news station. Keeping it on mute, they watched for less than a minute when Cooper’s face flashed on the screen and the breaking news headline scrolled across the bottom of the screen. Cooper paled and looked between Felicity and Diggle.

“What I have next is your email offer to the FBI to turn state’s evidence against Lucas Hunt, offering millions of data bytes in information you filtered from his server in QC as proof of your intentions.”

“He’ll kill me!” Cooper shouted, “And you took all my money. If I tell you where he is, I won’t be able to escape.”

“Not my problem,” Felicity said, studying her tablet. She lifted a finger.

“Stop! Help me get out of town, that’s all I ask, and I’ll tell you where Oliver is.”

Felicity looked up, appearing to mull over the idea.

“Tell me where they both are,” she countered. Diggle nodded in approval. If Cooper was going to start spilling secrets, they may as well get what they could before he became useless.

“And you’ll help me escape Lucas?” Cooper asked.

“How will I know you’re telling me the truth?” Felicity countered.

“On my server. You should see pinpoints for security cameras. File name is Den. Those are live feeds to where Oliver is.”

Felicity found the files and pulled them up. She was glad her back was turned to so that Cooper could not see her reaction. She closed her eyes. Oliver looked worse. It looked like he received another beating since this morning. The feed was live, like Cooper promised. 

Turning back, she leveled a look at Cooper.

“Where. Is. He.”

“The Tower, in the Glades. Lucas’ office is on the top floor. Oliver is in the basement.”

Felicity looked back at the live feed. She studied the room Oliver was in and then nodded. Reimaging the cameras, she began recording the feed. Felicity then accessed the street cameras outside the Tower. Satisfied, she then accessed the local FBI field office. Looking at Diggle, she nodded again. Diggle stood up and began wrapping duct tape around Cooper’s mouth.

“Wait! Wait! You said you’d help,” Cooper said frantically. Diggle finished wrapping the tape, silencing him.

“And I did. The FBI should be on here in minutes to take you into protective custody.”

Cooper’s eyes widened in desperation and he began trying to speak. Felicity walked out of the apartment never looking back, Diggle close behind her. Once they were in the car and driving away, Felicity closed her eyes. Diggle’s warm hand covered hers.

“I like your style, Miss Smoak. I like it very much,” he said, squeezing her hand.

Felicity smiled, keeping her eyes closed.

“Can A.R.G.U.S. keep Cooper safe until the FBI can take him in? He’s a an ass but I don’t want his death on my conscience.” 

Felicity listened as John called Lyla, arranging for Cooper to be picked up. He paused a minute and then agreed to something, somewhat reluctantly. She had a feeling that Lyla was coming to help.

“We need the help, John,” Felicity said, opening her eyes. She was emotionally exhausted and holding back her fear by the thinnest of threads.

“Lyla’s on her way,” Diggle replied, “with a team.”

Felicity nodded, swallowing hard. _Hold on Oliver, I’m coming._

=================== 

 _Oliver_...Oliver felt the whip of icy cold water as it splashed across his face and torso. He heard the water dripping from his t-shirt hit the floor in slow, methodical drips. He let his mouth hang open, pretending to still be out. Another dousing and he let his mouth fill, swallowing quickly.

“He’s awake,” a voice said. Oliver heard the metal grate of a chair being scraped across the floor.

“Mr. Queen,” a voice said, low and smoothly cultured. Oliver raised his head and received his first glimpse of Lucas Hunt. He saw the resemblance to Felicity immediately. But it was only a physical resemblance. That spark, that warmth and bright light that was Felicity, was missing. He was a void. Empty. Oliver let his head slump back over. He’d been through worse with A.R.G.U.S.

“You’ve been looking for me for quite some time,” Lucas continued. “Yet, I don’t quite know why. Mr. Diggle’s motivation, I understand. But your motivation has always puzzled me.”

Lucas studied Oliver another minute but before he could say anything, one of his men whispered something in his ear.

“You’ll have to excuse me, Mr. Queen. It appears that one of my men has found himself in a spot of trouble.” 

Oliver listened to the sound of the retreating footsteps. A door opened, and then shut with a heavy thud. He heard a bar being drawn across the front, locking him in. He kept his head down, breath shallow, listening intently. When he was certain he was alone in the room, he raised his head. Looking upwards, he studied the chains and then smiled. Idiots, he thought. Gripping the chains, Oliver began pulling himself up until he reached the rafter he hung from. Lifting his legs, Oliver swung them over the rafter and then hauled himself up, crouching on the rafter to avoid hitting his head on the one above him. He studied the chains bolted to the rafter for a minute. The rafter was solid, but the wood was beginning to break apart from age, and what appeared to be water damage. He just needed leverage. Looking up, he found what he was looking for. Moving sideways, he pulled the chains taut, and lifted them over the edge of an exposed beam that just reached the rafter he was chained to. He grabbed the chains in his fist, and pulled down using his body weight as leverage.

The rafter beneath his feet shuddered and he continued to pull downwards, grunting with effort. A sudden pop and the chains came up from his rafter. Oliver fell back, nearly falling to the ground. He pulled the chains towards him and after breaking off any remaining bits of wood, he flipped back down to the floor. He headed towards the door when he heard the sound of someone moving the bar. He pressed himself back against the wall as the door opened. A figure crept in. Oliver poised to attack but the figure spun and Oliver found himself face to face with Diggle.

“Jesus, Oliver!” Diggle said, his gun pointed at Oliver’s face. He quickly lowered it.

“Keys?” Oliver asked, holding up his manacled hands. Diggle stepped outside and pulled the lone guard in the room. Rifling through his pockets, Diggle found a set of keys and began freeing Oliver.

“Are you alone?” 

“No. Lyla and a small team of agents are keeping Lucas’ other men quietly occupied. Felicity is jamming their frequencies.”

“Felicity is here?”

“She’s supposed to be in the van.”

Oliver nodded, rubbing his rests as the last manacle fell away. He wondered what the chances were of Felicity remaining in the van. Low, the thought, really low. He looked around and saw his jacket and boots in a corner of the room. He pulled the jacket on, wincing at the movement. He shoved his bare feet into his boots, and bent to tie them. By the time he was done, he was breathing heavily.

“Broken ribs?” Diggle asked as they made their way out into the hall.

“Just bruised,” Oliver responded. They quickly made their way to a set of stairs that went up to ground level. It was open. Diggle moved towards it quickly, motioning Oliver to follow. They were in a long narrow hallway. Diggle began moving towards another door that was earlier identified as exiting into a small alley. Before they reached the door, two men with guns stepped into their path. The guns were unusual in their design, hand-held but large with some type of glowing key pad on the barrel.

“Don’t move,” one of the men ordered. Oliver and Diggle looked at each other. Shrugging, the moved as one, but before they could take more than a few steps, the man who ordered them to stay still fired his weapon. It hit Diggle as he was moving, skimming his side. The electric shock had him falling to his knees, hands on the floor. Nausea crept over him and he breathed deeply to keep it down. 

“I said,” the man repeated, “Don’t. Move.” Oliver bent to help Diggle up, and both men stayed where they were. Oliver thought furiously, calculating movement to overpower two weapons. Stun guns, he thought, military-grade, state-of-the art stun guns. The two men began inching forward, when suddenly their guns erupted and a charge went through both men causing them to fall to the ground unconscious. The click of heels had Oliver turning, his eyes widening as Felicity made her way towards them. Of course she didn’t wait in the van, was his first thought. Then, he took in her appearance and his heart thumped. She looked like the Felicity he found several weeks ago; ruthlessly styled, controlled. Then he met her eyes, and he saw the emotions she was struggling to control; anger, fear, worry, and some hidden emotion that had his heart beating faster. Seeing him, he saw her visibly relax and then she was in his arms.

“I was so scared,” she whispered, “they were supposed to take me, not you.”

“Then I would be scared, wondering if you were alright.”

“But that was the plan,” she murmured against his neck, pressing her lips to his pulse. Oliver hugged her tightly as her hands patted his back. When he flinched as her hands skimmed across his ribs, she pulled back. Oliver tugged her back into his arms, and she shuddered under the emotions she was trying to control.

“Ssshhhh. It’s okay, I’m here.”

Felicity closed her eyes in relief, hugging him tightly for a moment longer. Reluctantly pulling away, she looked up at him, her fingers tracing lightly over the scrapes on his cheek, the bruising around his lips. He caught her fingers in his hands and brushed his lips across their tips. She smiled tremulously at him. 

“Felicity?” Diggle asked, hands on his hips as he studied the two guys on the floor. “How did you do that?”

“Oh, the stun guns have WiFi built into them. I designed them that way and I also left a backdoor for me in case they ended up in the wrong hands.  When their signal popped on my screen as I was doing a sweep, I immediately entered by administrator code, upped the amps up and bzzzz,” Felicity replied.

“Bzzzz?” questioned Oliver, his lips quirking into a smile. Felicity shrugged, and repeated the buzzing noise. 

"You designed them? Why does that even surprise me?" Diggle asked, shaking his head.

"You're amazing," Oliver said and Felicity leaned into him one more time.

“We need to get out of here,” Diggle said, stepping over the unconscious men.

“No,” Felicity said. Oliver turned back, having followed Diggle towards the door at the end of the hall. 

“What do you mean ‘no’?”

“This ends now. Lucas is here, sighting confirmed by Lyla and her team. I’m here. You two are here. Let’s do this now.” 

“Our plan is shot to hell, Felicity!” Diggle said. “We need to regroup, replan.”

“John, you taught me to always have alternate exit strategy, a plan B. Well, plan B is here. I need this fight to be over. I need to move on with my life. To see where I fit without this burning need to bring Lucas down driving every decision I make. I need to experience my life as just me, Felicity Smoak, IT girl.” 

Felicity walked up to Oliver, and taking his hand she looked up at him with earnest.

“I need to know what it’s like to be with you without Lucas in our lives. To discover what it means to love you in the open and not in secret. To have dinner in a restaurant, maybe even go to a movie. And perhaps some kissing. I like kissing you, Oliver.”

Oliver’s throat tightened with emotion at her words. She loved him. She loved him. Before he could reply, Felicity turned back to Diggle, she reached a hand out to him, squeezing his hand just as tightly as she squeezed Oliver’s.

“I have my family back. I’m not letting him ruin one more moment we have by his presence. We can never account for every exigency with Lucas. He’s a wild card. No amount of planning will let us predict what he will do. And that’s what he’s counting on...us falling back on our pattern of observe, plan, and execute. It’s time to wing it. We have him here, cornered in this building.” 

Oliver and Diggle shared a look before both nodding in agreement.

“This could be dangerous,” Diggle warned, “I want Lyla and her men involved. Actually, I want Lyla as far from her as possible, but if I need someone other than you two watching my back, I prefer it be her.”

“Good,” said Lyla, coming around the corner from behind Felicity. “Because you know what reaction you would get from me if you even tried to send me home like a good little wife.”

Felicity laughed. She was amazed that she could laugh at a time like this; danger was just around the corner, yet here she was, smiling and laughing. Just like old times, she thought. She caught Oliver’s eyes and he winked at her, nodding in agreement.

“We need to move and now, if we want to maintain the element of surprise. Lucas has men moving in on Cooper...don’t worry, we have him in an A.R.G.U.S. facility until the FBI can get here...and he’ll be on his way back here,” Lyla informed them. 

“Well, let’s go meet him then,” Diggle said and began following Lyla to the main entrance of the Tower. There were only two entrances to the basement, from the outside alley or the lobby. Once Lucas exited the elevator, they would be waiting.

Oliver and Felicity followed them out.

“You like kissing me, huh?”

Felicity smiled, “Don’t let it go to your head.”

Oliver pressed a kiss to her lips before they walked out into the lobby.

“Let’s do this,” he said.

Oliver and Diggle positioned themselves in front of Felicity. Lyla took up a position by the doors to the building. A.R.G.U.S. men took up position outside. The elevator bell signaled its arrival to the lobby, and after a brief pause, the doors slid opened. Felicity immediately disabled the elevators as Lucas walked out with two men. She shut down the elevator mainframes, leaving Lucas with two men. He froze, surprise crossing his face as he saw Oliver and Diggle standing shoulder to shoulder. They separated, revealing Felicity standing just behind them. Enjoying the drama more than she should, Felicity stepped between them and they flanked her on either side.

“Hello, Lucas. I’ve believe you’ve been looking for me.”

 


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the aftermath of Thea's death, the team falls apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't help but thank everyone for reading at the beginning of every chapter so thank you! So close to the end here, maybe two more chapters.

_Five Years Earlier_

The lights hurt her eyes, the noise her ears.   Felicity shivered in the cold, squinting against the red, white and blue lights flashing all around her. How patriotic, Felicity thought absently. I wonder if that was on purpose. Did someone suggest red, white and blue lights for first responders so everyone would know the good guys were coming?

“Miss?”

Felicity looked up in confusion at the medic examining the cut on her head. The medic had an equally confused look on his face and Felicity realized she had spoken aloud.   She shook her head, turning her eyes back to the scene in front of the club. The medic finished examining the cut and began to clean it. Felicity winced when he pressed against it.

“Sorry,” the medic murmured, as he finally began cleaning the cut. Felicity said nothing, just closed her eyes against the flashing lights. She wished she could cover her ears. Someone placed a blanket around her and Felicity clutched the ends together tightly.   _Thea._

“It’s a superficial wound, no need for stitches. I didn’t feel any bumps on your head from where debris most likely hit you, but you should go to the hospital to be sure you don’t have a concussion.”

Felicity opened her eyes and stared blankly at the medic. He looked at her expectantly and Felicity’s confusion grew. Am I supposed to say something, she wondered. Why is he looking at me like that?

“Miss? Would you like us to transport you to the hospital?” the medic repeated, flashing his pen light in her eyes again. Felicity turned her head from the light, shaking her head. She pulled the blanket tighter around her, closing her eyes again. She listened to the sounds of people moving around her; the police on their radios as they set up a parameter, firemen moving carefully through the wrecked half of the club. A warm hand landed on her shoulder and she opened her eyes, hoping it was Oliver. Her disappointment must have showed.

“He won’t leave the front of club,” John said. “Felicity, I…” He broke off, swallowing hard. Felicity nodded and pushed herself to her feet. She wobbled a moment and both the medic and John put their hands out to steady her.   She brushed off their silent offers of help and motioned to John to lead the way.

Oliver kneeled on the ground just outside the club. Two policemen stood a few feet away, ready to stop him if he tried to enter the scene again. From the looks of their uniforms, it appeared that they stopped him several times already.   Motioning to the policemen to step back a bit further, Felicity kneeled in front of Oliver and looked up into his face. He didn’t look at her. His eyes remained fixed on the club, tracking the movement of the investigators as they sifted through the wreckage. Ash and soot from the explosion streaked his face, and Felicity saw bits of metal and glass peppering his hair. There as a small cut on his neck, but otherwise, he appeared unharmed. Except for the hole in his heart, Felicity thought. _Thea_.

“Oliver,” she murmured taking his hands in hers. She waited and then repeated his name again, stroking his cheek with her hand, trying to get his attention. The third time she said his name, she gripped his hands tightly until he finally looked at her. Felicity nearly broke at the desolation in his eyes. Oliver looked down at their joined hands, and then back up at her. Shock, she thought.

“You need to come away, Oliver. Come with me,” Felicity cajoled, her voice gentle. He shook his head, his gaze moving back to the scene. He pulled his hands away, eyes intent on the movements of the firemen closest to where the storage room was once located. Felicity turned to look and closed her eyes at the sight of the club essentially split in two. _Thea._

“Oliver,” Felicity said, a bit more firmly. Oliver looked at her again, desperation in his eyes.

“I can’t leave her, Felicity. I can’t leave her. She never liked being left alone.”

Felicity swallowed a sob. His voice was so lost, confused.

“She’s not alone, Oliver. John will stay here until they find her. You need to come away. Oliver, your parents...” Felicity stopped, not sure what to say. Before she could continue, a shout came from the wreckage. Oliver was on his feet in seconds, surging towards the scene. The police officers blocked his way. John held onto him from behind.   Felicity was slower to rise from the ground, knowing what the firemen had found. She didn’t need a body to confirm what she already knew, what she had seen. When she finally stood and turned to the club, Felicity saw two firemen gently lift a body bag onto a gurney. A third fireman looked on. One of them looked their way and noticed Oliver struggling against John and the two policemen. He motioned at them to a third fireman who made his way over. _Thea._

“Mr. Queen, you need to calm down,” the police were saying as the fireman walked up. Oliver kept struggling, only stopping when the fireman approached them.

“Mr. Queen?” he asked, looking at Oliver. Oliver nodded in acknowledgment.

“I’m Chief Investigator Miller. Are your parents at home this evening?”

“Just tell me,” Oliver said tensely, ignoring the investigator’s question. 

“Sir, are your parents at home this evening?” Investigator Miller repeated calmly.

“JUST FUCKING TELL ME!” Oliver suddenly screamed. John pulled him back, looking back at Felicity. Get it together, Felicity Meghan Smoak, she thought finally moving. She jumped into the middle, putting herself between Oliver and the fireman. She put a hand on Oliver’s arm and he looked down at her with wild eyes. _Please_ , he said. She nodded at him and turned back to the fireman. The police were trying to talk Oliver down as he struggled with John’s grip.

“Sir?” her soft voice cut through the cacophony of voices and the policemen turned their attention to her. Felicity kept her gaze on the Fire Investigator. “Please.”

Investigator Miller took his helmet off, pushing his hand wearily through his hair as he looked back over at the body they just pulled from the wreckage. Sighing, he placed his helmet back on, he nodded once.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Queen. We’ll need a positive I.D. of course, but yes, we found your sister.”

A low noise came from Oliver and Felicity turned back to him, wrapping her arms around his waist as the noise grew louder. She felt more than saw John move up next to them, wrapping his arms around both of them as Oliver slid back to the ground. The rumbling grew and then Oliver was screaming, holding onto both of them, his grip punishing. Silence fell around them and the only sound was Oliver’s grief as police men and firemen paused at the sound. Felicity stared with hot eyes at the gurney that the firemen gently maneuvered to more solid ground. Oliver kept screaming until he abruptly fell quiet. Gradually, the noise of a scene being processed resumed. Still holding Oliver, Felicity closed her eyes against the flashing lights. _Thea._

======================

He wouldn’t answer his phone. Felicity left another voice mail, sighing as she hung up. She stood just outside her office, shivering in the cold. She looked around, not quite sure what to do. Oliver was a no show for Thea’s funeral, a no show in the Foundry, and not answering her or Diggle’s calls. She came in to work today to keep her mind occupied; only she couldn’t concentrate in her grief or in her worry for Oliver. She dialed again and it went straight to voice mail. 

“Oliver,” she said softly, and then just stopped. She hung up. There was nothing she could say that she hadn’t already said in previous messages. Felicity leaned against the building, closing her eyes. It’s cold, she thought. Straightening, she turned to go back inside to her office.

“Rough day, Miss Smoak?”

Felicity jerked around to see Lucas Hunt standing just behind her. A black SUV idled on the corner, waiting. She took a few steps back, glancing to her right into the office. No one was in the lobby. Of course not, she thought. It’s after five.

“Actually, you are having a rough couple of days, aren’t you?”

“What do you want?” Felicity demanded, looking around the street. There were a few people walking and cars drove by steadily. She felt some reassurance at the level of activity on the street.

“You know exactly what I want.”

“The answer is the same. No.”

Lucas shook his head mournfully, removing his hands from the pockets of his coat. He adjusted the sleeves of his coat, brushing imaginary lint from his arms. He looked at Felicity with disappointment. She backed away a bit further. Lucas tracked her movements with cold amusement.

“I would think after losing your friend in such a way, you would change your mind.”

Felicity froze, eyes widening as she stared at Lucas. A low buzzing filled her ears and her stomach cramped as his words registered. She curled inwards at the verbal blow. She shook her head, mouth opening and then closing. No…no…. _Thea._

“Why Miss Smoak, I do believe you are speechless. Does that happen often?” Lucas chuckled at his own joke, clearly enjoying himself.

Felicity gagged, the buzzing slowly increasing in volume. Her eyes burned with unshed tears.

“You didn’t,” she managed to choke out, nausea clawing at her throat.

“I warned you. You failed to listen. This is the consequences of your actions.”

Felicity turned to her left and promptly vomited in the gutter. Twice now, she thought, that’s twice that he’s made me vomit on the street. Shame filled her at the display of weakness, fueled further by Lucas’ look of disgust. He took out a handkerchief and held it out to her. She batted it away and it fluttered gently to the ground. 

Her legs shook and she lowered herself to the grown, one hand braced on a lamp post. A woman walked by and stopped, frowning. 

“Are you alright, dear?” she asked, looking in confusion at Lucas just standing over Felicity. He turned to the woman and gave her a charming smile.

“She’s fine,” Lucas reassured the woman. “My daughter merely ate something bad. So embarrassing. Please, a little privacy.” The woman nodded uncertainly and after a moment’s hesitation, moved on. 

“I’m not your daughter,” Felicity hissed stupidly, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. Lucas gave another chuckle. He squatted in front of her and yanked her face up by her chin. Felicity jerked away. Lucas leaned forward, his nose wrinkling at the stench of her vomit.

“Surprise. Why else would I take such an interest in you? Oh yes, you’re smart, brilliant actually, but so are many other people. But you, you’re of my blood. When I left you and your mother, you were a six year old kid constantly asking why and constantly taking my electronic equipment apart. It was amusing and promising. When I left, I kept an eye on you. I knew you would be special. I knew you would achieve extraordinary things. I was right. Your virus…it is a thing of beauty.”

Felicity dry-heaved, shock flooding her system. She pushed herself to her feet. She stared at Lucas, trying to feel something, some sense of recognition. She felt nothing. Just abject horror that this _evil_ was claiming to be her father. 

“You’re lying,” she whispered, “I remember my father. He was good and kind.” 

“A child’s fantasy as real memories fade,” Lucas said dismissively. “But here is something you’ll remember. Oliver’s face when he finds out that you are responsible for Thea’s death. Even better? You’re the daughter of the man that he and John Diggle have been hunting for years.” 

Felicity promptly vomited again and Lucas jumped back.

“Think about it, Felicity. Think about it. I’ll give you 24 hours to think about it.” Lucas gave her a look of disgust. “Go home. Brush your teeth. And think about it.” 

Felicity breathed heavily, watching Lucas leave in his black SUV. She stumbled into her building and escaped into the bathroom. She rinsed her mouth and stared at herself in the mirror. Red-rimmed eyes stared back at her, bruised with pain and guilt. Her skin was pale, tinged with green and her hair fell lankly around her face.

“Thea,” she whispered, her voice echoing in the bathroom. God, oh God, Thea was her fault. _Thea_. Felicity didn’t know what to do. She had to tell Oliver.   She had to. She had to. She kept repeating it to herself. An unknown fear swirled in her stomach.

“He will hate me,” she said, voicing the fear out loud. “He will hate me.”

Felicity leaned her head against the mirror. A harsh sob escaped her. It never occurred to Felicity to hide this from Oliver. The idea of Oliver looking at her with hate terrified her but she could not hide this, not about Thea. He needed to know it wasn’t his fault. She took several breaths, willing the nausea to disappear. She couldn’t hide in the bathroom forever. She called Diggle. 

“Felicity,” he answered, “I found him. He’s at the Foundry.” 

Felicity closed her eyes. “I’ll meet you there.”

=========================

Oliver sat among the ruins of the club, drinking straight from an unbroken bottle of vodka he found behind what was left of the bar. It had been three days since Thea died. Three days since he opened the first bottle. He stared at the remains of the storage room. _Thea_. The ache in his chest intensified. _Thea_. He ignored phone calls from his parents, deleting their voice mails. He ignored Diggle’s calls. Oliver didn’t need to delete Diggle’s voice mails; he never left any. His phone rang and glancing at it, he saw it was Felicity again. He stared at her picture on his phone, the small smile on her lips. His thumb brushed over her picture and then hovered over the button to answer. He hit ignore instead. When the voicemail alert went off, instead of deleting it, he listened. He always listened to her messages. He never deleted them. This time, all she said was his name before hanging up. The whisper of her voice had Oliver closing his eyes tightly. 

Opening his eyes, he looks at the storage room and remembered the fear he felt as he flew up the stairs of the Foundry thinking Felicity was in danger. His heart hammering in his chest as he took the stairs four at a time, the relief when he saw her standing by the bar, no box in sight, and his confusion as she took a step towards the storage room just before the bomb exploded. The relief he felt as he held her in his arms, protecting her with his body. He could have lost her along with Thea. The fact that Felicity was alive was the only thing saving him from falling into the abyss.   He needed to keep her safe. He could not fail her the way he failed Thea. Oliver took another long pull from the bottle.

“Ollie?” a voice called and Oliver stirred from his reverie. Frowning, he looked up to find Laurel picking her way across the wreckage. She teetered on impractical heels as she stepped over the rubble to his side.

“What are you doing here?” he asked dully, turning his attention back to the storage room.

“You texted me,” Laurel said, confusion in her voice. Oliver turned his bleary gaze back to her, frowning. Why would he text Laurel? Looking down at his phone in his hand, he pulled up his texts.

“Oh,” was all he said. He had no memory of texting her but then again, since the explosion, he had very little memory of anything. He wished it was because of the alcohol. It wasn’t. The explosion replayed in his mind over and over. He should have been faster to come up the stairs. He should have realized Thea would come in on her day off. He never should have set up the lair in the Foundry. Shaking his head to dispel the images playing over and over again, he scrambled to his feet and wobbled uncertainly. Laurel grabbed his arm, steadying him. He took a drink and then handed her the bottle. She shook her head, and he tossed it behind him. He heard it shatter against the ruins of the bar.

“You’re drunk,” Laurel commented, shaking her head. She clutched her bag, disappointed that it was alcohol that fueled his text to her. She wondered where his friends where. They were never far from his side. She looked over towards the storage room and shuddered. God, how could he sit here so close to where Thea died? Oliver gave a gruff laugh at her observation.

“Observant but also wrong. Sadly, it seems no matter how much I drink, I cannot get drunk. Do you think grief prevents you from getting drunk?” Oliver shoved his hands in the pocket of his jeans as he continued to stare at where the storage room once stood. Yellow police tape fluttered in the wind that swept through the wreckage of the club. Yellow, he thought, the color of hope. Why would police tape be the color of hope?

“Ollie, I’m so sorry. I can’t believe it.   The news said it was a gas leak?” Laurel asked, taking his arm and leading him to an area of the club where there was less rubble. Oliver followed along, suddenly docile and quiet.

“Thea called me Ollie,” he said, remembering the many ways she would say his name. With laughter, love, and more often than not sisterly annoyance, the way Thea said his name was her way. He didn’t want anyone calling him Ollie anymore. Laurel sighed and put her arms around him, hugging him tightly.  

“Ollie,” she said, “when was the last time you were home?”

Oliver shrugged and looked down at Laurel. He frowned in confusion. He couldn’t remember why she was here.

“What are you doing here, Laurel?” he asked again.

“I’m here for you, Ollie,” she whispered. She kissed his cheek and then his lips. Laying her head on his chest, she kept her arms around him in comfort. Oliver looked down at her bent head. Laurel had known Thea since she was a kid. At one point, when he and Laurel dated in high school, she and Thea had been close. Things changed when Laurel went off to college and law school. Laurel and Thea kept in touch but it wasn’t really the same. When he finally broke things off with Laurel for good, he noticed the phone calls and visits to Thea tapered off. They never talked about it, but Oliver knew that Thea suspected that Laurel’s continued attempts at friendship were a subterfuge to getting close to Oliver. Sadly, it was probably true. Yet Thea never complained about the loss of a friend. _Because Felicity came into her life,_ a voice whispered.

Laurel lifted her head to stare up at him. There were tears in her eyes, and one fell elegantly down her cheek.   In the back of his mind, he recalled another whose grief was raw and ugly….the depth of loss drowning her as she cried Thea’s name. He blocked the moment from his mind. Laurel stretched up and brushed another kiss across his lips and this time, Oliver kissed her back. This wasn’t right, he thought. This is wrong. It was all wrong, but Oliver didn’t care. He needed this, the comfort of another person. It was the wrong person, though, but the alcohol, the grief, he needed to hide from reality. Laurel made a noise in the back of her throat and he slipped his hands beneath her coat.

Someone coughed but Oliver ignored the sound. The cough came again, this time louder. Oliver lifted his head to find Diggle staring at him. Shame swept over him at the look of condemnation on Diggle’s face and he dropped his hands to his side. He took a step away from Laurel, shoving his hands back into the pockets of his jeans. Laurel looked between the two men uncertainly.  

“We need to talk, Oliver,” was all Diggle said. Laurel looked up at Oliver and what she saw had her face falling in defeat. Picking up her bag where she had dropped it during their kiss, she made to leave. Pausing, she turned back to Oliver.

“Go home, Ollie. You need rest.”

An awkward silence fell as Diggle simply looked at Oliver until he could no longer hear Laurel in the club.

“What the hell, Oliver?” Diggle demanded. “Felicity and I have been trying to reach you for days. When I finally find you, what do I found? You locking lips with your ex. What the hell?”

“Leave it, Diggle. Why were you looking for me?”

“Why do you think, Oliver? Thea was murdered. It’s time to find who and why.”

“I know why. Me…whatever I’ve done with A.R.G.U.S. Pick anyone of the guys we took down and the promises of vengeance. She’s dead because of me.” Oliver picked his way back over to the bar and began searching through the broken bottles. There had to be another bottle, he thought. He found an unbroken bottle of tequila beneath what was once the lid to the ice maker.

“Oliver, A.R.G.U.S. believes H.I.V.E. may be involved.” 

Oliver looked up, surprised. The bottle fell from his hand, rolling uselessly towards the rubble by the storage room. 

“H.I.V.E.? Lucas?”

Diggle nodded, “The truck that delivered the bomb was found abandoned about forty miles south of Starling. Registration traced back to a company that reported it stolen more than a month ago.” 

Oliver frowned, trying to shake the cobwebs from his brain.

“How do we know the truck belongs to H.I.V.E.?”

“Because the company that reported it stolen is one of the shell companies that Felicity traced back to H.I.V.E. when she ran the traps on those bank accounts.”

Oliver pushed his hands through his hair.  The guilt of having caused Thea’s death pressed down on him, making it difficult to breathe. This didn’t make any sense. Why now? How did Lucas find out about their search? 

“Why now? How does he know? We are no closer to Lucas then we were a year ago. Why come after me now?”

“Oliver, I don’t know. Something has changed and we need to find out. We need Felicity. It’s time to tell her about Lucas, H.I.V.E., and that damn super virus he’s after.”

Oliver felt the first flutters of panic. He had to keep Felicity safe.

“We don’t need her for this. She’s done her part; the rest is up to us.”

Oliver started looking for the bottle he dropped. He winced as a piece of broken glass slashed across his thumb. Sucking on it, he started looking for another unbroken bottle. 

Diggle gave Oliver an incredulous look. “We can’t do this without her. We need Felicity. It’s why you found her, why you brought her onboard. And don’t try to pretend she means nothing to you.” 

The fear of more loss pushed Oliver to anger. Couldn’t Diggle see that to bring Felicity any further into their lives with A.R.G.U.S. was to kill her?

“I don’t have to pretend. I found her as a means to an end. Need I remind you that we researched dozens of IT specialists before settling on her? A means to an end, Diggle that is all she ever was and ever will be, a means to an end. We have the end, a direct link to H.I.V.E. We don’t need the virus. We just need to find Lucas.”

“Because that’s been so easy in the past,” Diggle retorted, frustration putting him on edge. He ignored Oliver’s words about Felicity’s value, dismissing them as fueled by alcohol and plain stupidity. Oliver could be pretty stupid at times and this looked to be one of them.

“This is not up for discussion,” Oliver fired back.

“It involves my brother, Oliver. You don’t get to unilaterally decided what isn’t or what is up for discussion or whether or not we need Felicity. My brother was killed by Lucas Hunt. Thea was killed by Lucas Hunt. Our best hope at finding him, bringing him down is Felicity.”

"I said no.”

“And I’m not asking.”

The two men stared at each other in anger. Diggle shook his head and made his way down the stairs to the Foundry lair to begin working a simple trace. Oliver continued to search for an unbroken bottle.

=================

Felicity slid to the ground, hidden behind what was left of the outer wall closest to the storage room.  She was spending an awful amount of time on the ground, she mused.  She looked up at the dark sky, the stars barely visible through the smog that always seemed to hove over The Glades.  I should feel something, she thought, something, anything, but there was nothing; only a numbing coldness spreading throughout her body. She rested her head against the cold stone, listening to Oliver stumble around the ruins. Turning her head, she looked in just as he was disappearing down the stairs to the Foundry.   His words echoed in her mind. His kiss with Laurel played on repeat every time she closed her eyes.

_A means to an end….his hand beneath Laurel’s coat…..a means to an end…..his lips on Laurel’s……_

Felicity looked up into the darkened sky. Oliver knew about H.I.V.E. and Lucas Hunt. He knew about her virus. He just didn’t know it was her virus. God, she was so naïve. Tears threatened and Felicity tried to hold them back. It was too much though. Causing Thea’s death, the surprise revelation of her parentage, Oliver knowing about H.I.V.E., it was all too much. She felt this crushing weight in her chest and she started to gasp for breath. _A means to an end._ Did she imagine Oliver’s feelings for her? Did she read too much in the way he looked at her or the way he kissed her? Her heart screamed no, but her mind was too busy replaying Oliver and Laurel kissing for her to listen.

She couldn’t stay here. Not here, not in this city. Pushing herself back to her feet, Felicity stood amid the ruins of the club. The symbolism was not lost on her. Wiping her eyes, she pushed the guilt, the pain, the fear and humiliation down deep. She needed to think, to plan. She needed to disappear. She had to hide until she could find a way to destroy Lucas Hunt. She had to hide until she could heal her heart. Felicity felt her phone vibrate in her coat pocket. Pulling it out, she saw it was Diggle. Closing her eyes at the wave of fresh pain, she slammed her phone to the ground and then crushed it further with the heel of her boot. She picked up the pieces and broke it further apart, throwing the pieces in various directions.  Feeling something else in her pocket, Felicity reached in and pulled out a USB device.  She stared at it blankly and then realized it was the information she had downloaded from the last A.R.G.U.S. job with Oliver.  The night you almost let him...Felicity slammed the door on that train of thought, staring at the device.  It was a start, she thought, and tucking it into her pocket, she turned to leave.  She paused by the storage room, catching a glint of glass from the corner of her eye. Half-hidden by a slab of drywall, an unbroken bottle of tequila winked at her. Picking it up, she saw it was the same brand that Thea served her the night they met. Giving the storage room one final look, she tucked the bottle in her bag and walked out of the club. She never looked back.  

================

_24 hours later_

“Sir, she wasn’t at home. After you left her office, I went immediately to her home but she was already gone. Neighbors hadn’t seen her since late last night. I tracked her car as far as the train station where it is sitting in the parking lot with the keys inside.”

Cooper closed his eyes in fear at the silence from the other end. When Lucas spoke, he breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Sir, I understand. I did conduct an electronic search for some clue of her whereabouts or destination. I learned that she closed her bank accounts and cancelled her credit cards. There is no activity on any of her accounts, her phone, or her computer equipment since yesterday night at 9 p.m. “

There was a click and Cooper realized that Lucas had ended the call. Cooper looked around the train station one more time. It was close to 7 p.m. The clerk in the ticket office assured him that no trains had arrived or departed in the hour since express service had ended. The next train left in five minutes and the last of the evening commuters milled around the station waiting for their ride home. Their professional business wear would make it difficult for Felicity to blend in. There was no sign of her. Even so, Cooper took up a position by the entrance to the platform, watching last minute riders run in.

Felicity kept her face bent over her book, while turning her back partially to Cooper. She could feel anger simmering dangerously inside her. Tamping down the urge to confront him, she closed her eyes and counted to ten. The last train to Central City pulled into the station right on time. Standing, she straightened the black blazer of the pantsuit she purchased earlier today. Pulling a small neat commuter bag behind her, she boarded the train. Sitting on the opposite side of the car from Cooper, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror.

Thea was right, she thought, I do look smashing as a blonde.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity finally faces off with Lucas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, I am SO SORRY. I was less than inspired and so this final chapter took forever. In the meantime, a new story kept coming to mind and I couldn't sit down and write this final chapter without that one interfering. And so I outlined that story and wrote the first few chapters. I decided when I first started putting my work on here that I would never post several multi-chapter stories at the same time. My brain just doesn't function that way. Knowing me, I would begin confusing storylines, plots, even characters! LOL. 
> 
> Anyway, I received a very nice comment asking me to finish and I finally did. Thank you for your patience. I hope to start posting my new story in the next week or so. Thank you all again for reading.

Felicity studied Lucas’ expression, noting the absence of emotion.  No, she corrected herself.  There is emotion.  There is cruelty, disinterest, and arrogance.  It was the arrogance that Felicity intended to exploit.  Lucas was incapable of believing that anyone could get the better of him, let alone a small, slip of a girl who he’s already dismissed as malleable and weak.   Felicity observed Lucas closely as he took in the scene before him.  She noticed the slight tic that emerged by his left eye when he spotted Lyla.  His lips tightened when his gaze returned to Oliver, still bleeding from the beating he took from Lucas’ men yet standing still and strong by Felicity’s side.  Lucas observed Diggle’s stance, the gun that was aimed directly at his face.  Finally, he returned his gaze to Felicity.  He arched an eyebrow.  Felicity did the same.  Lucas’ hand twitched ever so slightly.

“Are we to stand here all day, Miss Smoak?” Lucas asked, breaking the silence.  “I’m sure Mr. Queen is in need of medical attention.”  Felicity knew he was attempting to distract her.  Not this time. 

“Oliver?” she asked, without breaking eye contact with Lucas.

“Nope,” he replied.  Nodding slightly, she allowed a small smile to play about her lips.  Lucas’ hand twitched again.

“Your concern is truly touching but misplaced,” Felicity replied, her tone slightly bored.  In reality, her heart was beating so fast she was surprised no one could hear it.  She was surprised she couldn’t hear it.  She could only feel it, the rapid thumping against her chest and the instinctive urge to flee nipping at her will.  She buried that urge deep, concentrating on the thumping of her heart.  She will finish this right now.

“Suit yourself,” Lucas answered. “Care to explain why you are here and not running as is your tendency?”

“Like I said, I understand you’ve been looking for me.  So here I am.”

Felicity spread her arms out as she spoke, her tablet firmly held in one hand.  Lucas eyed the tablet.  Rolling his eyes, he reached into coat pocket and then froze as both Oliver and Diggle moved in front of Felicity, a gun suddenly appearing in Oliver’s hand.   Lucas’ men took aim in return.

“Gentlemen, please.  I’m merely reaching for my own handheld.”  Lucas brought out his device.  After keying in a few commands, he looked up expectantly.  Only nothing happened.  Felicity brought up her table, and accessed the weapons held by Lucas’ men.  She overrode the security and sent a power surge through the weapons.  Lucas’ men cursed and then dropped their weapons, staring incredulously at them as they lay smoking on the ground.  Lucas didn’t move.  Only the increased ticking by his left eye and the clenching of his hand gave any indication he was disturbed.

Damn, Felicity thought, his control is insane.  I wonder if that’s where I get mine from?  As soon as the thought entered her head, she dismissed it immediately.  He may supply her DNA but she was nothing like him.  Nothing.

Lucas looked down at his handheld and then back at Felicity.

“Well,” he drawled, “it appears that the little Felicity Smoak has learned to fight back.”

“No,” Felicity disagreed, “I’m merely ensuring a level playing field.”

“It would appear you have the advantage, Miss Smoak.  My men are now disarmed.  Yours, as well as the 20 A.R.G.U.S. agents outside, remain…what is the phrase? Oh yes. Locked and loaded.”

“This ends today, Lucas.  You will leave Starling City and me in peace.  You will leave everyone I hold dear in peace.  In fact, if someone merely knows my name, you will leave them in peace.”

“It only ends when I get what you want.”

Felicity nodded,  “My virus.  It’s yours.”

Everyone looked at Felicity in surprise.  Felicity detected a hint of suspicion in Lucas’ eyes.

“I’m tired, Lucas,” and Felicity allowed a sheen of tears to form, her voice quavering slightly.  The suspicion in Lucas’ eyes receded, but he still looked wary.  “Take my virus, do with it what you will, only let me and my friends be.  Leave my city alone.”  

A solitary tear streaked down her cheek and Felicity saw the triumphant gleam in Lucas’ eyes before he smothered it.  He nodded solemnly.

“And you?” Lucas asked.

“I won’t work with you but neither will I work against you.” 

Lucas nodded again.   Felicity could see the eagerness in his expression and the very real struggle he was having at suppressing his feelings of victory.  She remained silent and once again, it was Lucas who spoke first.

“So how do we do this?  Do you have it on a thumb drive?” Lucas asked, not bothering to hide his glee.

“No.  It’s actually quite simple.”

Felicity keyed in a few commands on her table and linked with Lucas’ handheld.  It beeped and Lucas looked at his device in surprise.  A message popped up on the screen, asking acceptance of a link.  Before he could form a thought, Felicity was already explaining.

“Accepting the link will allow me to transfer the code without activating it.  You can’t do that on a thumb drive.  I send you the lines of code, along with a trigger line that will activate the virus when ready.   The virus and trigger line will be transferred, but final acceptance of the code will be contingent upon entering your password.  Once you enter the password, the virus will upload to your device.  It will remain dormant until you access the trigger and enter your password again.  I will not be able to see your password.  In fact, I will give you this table once you’ve completed your side.”

Lucas’ eyes gleamed.  He quickly accepted the link.  Felicity began the transfer.  A minute went by and then another.  Lucas looked at Felicity. 

“Why is it taking so long?” he asked.

“Lucas, the virus is complex and the file extensive.  It should only take another minute.”

Silence reigned as the code continued to transfer.  The wild thumping of her heart increased in tempo.  Glancing at Oliver, she noted how tensely he stood, a line of sweat molding his t-shirt to his back.  She took a quick moment to appreciate how it defined his muscles before turning back to Lucas.  Just when Lucas was about to speak, his device beeped. 

“It’s requesting my password,” he said.  There was some hesitance in his voice as his finger hovered above his device.  Felicity quickly turned her tablet around so he could see her screen.  A message remained open on her device, “Transfer Complete.  Transfer Successful.”  Lucas nodded and looked back down at his device and began entering his password.  At the same time, Felicity quickly swiped to a new screen and the moment Lucas’ password was accepted, his servers came online.  Entering the trigger word she established, she waited a second and then saw the information from his servers being fed to federal and international agencies across the world.  A tracking beacon was activated for the servers as well as the device Lucas was currently cradling in his hands.  Felicity quickly closed out her tablet.  Looking up, she saw that Lucas was smiling in triumph at his device.  She held out her tablet, and he took it from her.  She began to back away, Oliver and Diggle moving with her. 

“We’re done, Lucas,” she reminded him.  “We are done.”

“About that,” he replied.  Shots suddenly erupted from outside the building.  Lila pressed a finger to her ear.

“My team is under heavy fire,” she said.  She pulled out another gun, aiming both guns at Lucas and his men.  Footsteps pounded in stairwell.  Felicity looked between Oliver and Diggle.

“Tell me those are more of our guys,” she said.  Lucas continued to smile as his men came pouring out of the stairwell.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t have a small army when dealing with you?  Did you really think I would under estimate you? Again?  You cannot out think me, my dear.  We are alike, you and I.  Alike.” 

Felicity cocked her head to the said, catching the faint sound of sirens.  She smiled as the sound grew louder.  Lucas looked to his men in confusion.  One of them held up a finger as he spoke to someone over the comms.  Lucas took a gun from one of the other men that had come from the stairwell and shot him.  Felicity stared in horror as the man crumpled to the ground.

“Someone tell me NOW what is going on or share his fate.”

“Sir, police are closing in on the location.  Both state and federal law enforcement.  It appears to be 10…” the brave man speaking paused, and then continued. “No, 15 vehicles, four S.W.A.T. tactical vehicles and two helicopters.”

Felicity motioned to Oliver and Diggle to slowly back away from Lucas with her.  The three of them moved back until they were by the front entrance.  Lyla took up position by their side.  Lucas remained distracted.

“How did they find us?”

There was a minuscule pause and the man brave enough the first time to speak swallowed hard.

“Sir, there appears to be a location signal being transmitted from a device in this room.”

Lucas raised the gun and shot him.  Felicity jumped as the man’s body fell to the ground.

“Sir,” another man said, his eyes on his fallen comrade. “It’s true.  Police communications indicate a signal from inside this building.”

Lucas looked at the tablet Felicity had given him, but found it was not emitting any signal.  The screeching of tires took his attention to the street outside the building.  It was flooded with vehicles and armed police officers.  The sound of helicopters could be heard above them.  Lucas looked at Felicity, the calm expression on her face, the eyes, so much like his own, daring him to believe.  He looked at his own handheld and saw the tracking beacon and then he saw the data pouring out from his servers.  His face mottled with rage and he fixed his gaze on Felicity.  She took a step in front of Oliver and Diggle as law enforcement gathered near the doors.  She could hear the sound of running coming from the basement.

“I beat you, you son of a bitch.  I beat you at your own game.  Remember that as you rot in prison.”

Police through the doors, surrounding them all, guns trained on everyone but especially Lucas who still held a gun.  His men had dropped theirs as soon as the police arrived.  Lucas’ face contorted and his lips moved but no sound emerged.  Lyla quickly identified herself.

“Lyla Michaels,” she said.  “Federal agent.  The man you want is the one still holding a gun over there.  These three were part of an A.R.G.U.S. sting operation and are working with me.” 

There was a shout and Felicity turned to see Lucas break free of the agents holding him, still holding a gun.  Why, she wondered as she watched him rush her, did he still have a gun? What is wrong with these people?  She noted he wasn’t really aiming at her and that’s when she realized that Oliver’s back was still turned.  He was aiming at Oliver.  She whipped around toward Lucas and as if in slow motion, she saw his finger tighten on the trigger.  Turning back to Oliver, she saw he was about to turn towards Lucas.

“NO!” she screamed and threw herself sideways into Oliver just as the gun went off.   She watched as the police tackled Lucas, finally taking away his weapon and cuffing his hands behind his back.  She turned her head and looked up at Oliver.

“Are you okay?” she asked breathlessly, reaching up to stroke his cheek.  She managed a small pat, before her hand fell limply to her side.  She looked at Oliver in confusion.

“Why can’t I breathe very well?” she gasped.  Oliver was pressing on her side, near her ribcage, his eyes slightly panicked.

“Well, what do you think happens when you throw yourself in front of a man firing a gun?  You were shot.”

Oliver tried to maintain a light tone but the blood seeping out of Felicity’s wound was starting to freak him out.  He looked up at Diggle who was already directing medics to Felicity’s side.

“I was shot? Well, that sucks,” Felicity muttered before she passed out.

 

==================================

 

_Felicity._

Felicity made a soft sound, turning her head from the voice that called her name insistently.  She hated being woken from sleep.

_Felicity.  Wake up, Felicity, wake up._

She made another noise, her hand jerking.  Warm, calloused fingers took hold of her hand, tightening.  She sighed, flexing her hand, enjoying the feel of those fingers on her.

“Come on, Felicity, open your eyes.  Open your eyes.”

The voice was insistent and not a little bit sexy in its gravelly tones.  Is gravelly even a word, she wondered.  Her eyes blinked open and then fluttered closed again.

“I saw that, Felicity.  Come on, baby, open your eyes.”

Felicity’s eyes popped open and she looked into Oliver’s worried face.  His scruff was thicker than usual and he looked extremely tired.  Relief poured into his eyes as she met his gaze.  Then love filled them as he gazed down at her.

“Hi,” he said, smiling as he leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

“Hi,” she croaked back.  She turned her head and saw what looked like a pitcher of water on a table by her bed.  Only it wasn’t her bed.  She was in a hospital.  She motioned to the pitcher and Oliver quickly poured her a cup of water.  After helping her drink from the straw, he set the cup away, and took her hand back in his.

“I was shot,” she said, her brow knitting in confusion as she looked around the hospital room.  Oliver gently raised her bed so that she was reclining.

“Yes, and I’m pissed as hell about it.  We will have a conversation about you taking bullets meant for me.”

Felicity’s eyes flew back to his, annoyance sparking in them.

“You can have that conversation with yourself,” she retorted.  Oliver couldn’t help but smile and leaned in to press another kiss to her forehead.  Sassy Felicity, he thought.

“You scared me,” he admitted in a whisper.

“I scared me,” she confessed in turn.  They were silent as he leaned his forehead against her, savoring the fact that she had finally woke up.

“How long was I out?” she finally asked.

“Four days.”

“Wow. I guess I was really tired.”

Oliver laughed.  He straightened and pulled chair close to the bed.  Sitting in it, he took her hand in both of his.  He placed kisses on it, absently stroking her arm, just drinking her in.

“Lucas?” she asked.

“Sitting in an A.R.G.U.S. prison,” Oliver answered, a satisfied smile crossing his face.  A.R.G.U.S. prisons were not known for being located in habitable locations.

Felicity nodded.  She looked around the room again and then back at Oliver.

“It’s over.  Really over.”

Oliver nodded.

“I don’t know what to do now,” Felicity said, a hint of panic in her voice.  Oliver stood back up and gently moving her over, crawled into the hospital bed next to her, taking her into his arms.

“We start living,” he said and Felicity closed her eyes against the hot prick of tears.  She clutched his shirt and inhaled his scent.  Nuzzling closer, she pressed her lips to his throat, feeling his pulse jump.  She smiled.  That’s when it hit her.  Suddenly pulling back, her expression was horrified as she looked at Oliver.

“What?” Oliver demanded, panicking as he quickly checked her bandages to make sure she hadn’t started bleeding.

“Did you call me ‘baby’?”  Felicity gasped out, her voice absolutely horrified over the endearment.  Oliver laughed and pulled her back into his arms.

“My mistake,” he whispered before capturing her lips with his, sealing their future with a kiss that had Felicity melting into his arms.  She was home, Felicity thought.  She was exactly where she was supposed to be.  Her lips played over Oliver's, nipping at them.

"Where's John?" she murmured, her lips moving against his as she spoke.  Oliver placed another kiss on her lips before answering.

"Waiting for my call when you wake," he said as he began nibbling at her lower lip.  He loved the silky softness of her lips, the poutiness of her lower lip.  She sighed into him, her tongue slipping into his mouth, tangling with his.  He groaned as he tried to reign back.

"Your injured."

"This will help me get better. Faster."

"I don't think so," he argued, but he was deepening the kiss, his hand moving down her side to grasp her hip.  He pressed himself into her and Felicity couldn't help but grin at the evidence of his arousal.  She tried to rub against him but then winced.

"Uh huh," Oliver said knowingly.  Felicity pouted and he kissed her again.  He nestled her closed, closing his eyes.

"Promise me," she whispered.

"Anything."

She leaned up and whispered in his ear.  Oliver's eyes widened and desired pulsed through him.  Looking down at her, he gave her a lascivious smile.

"Oh, I promise.  In fact, I promise you won't be able to walk for at least a week."

Felicity laughed as she burrowed closer.

"I love you, Oliver."

"I love you, Felicity."

=================================

_In an A.R.G.U.S. prison on a deserted island in the North China Sea_

Lucas Hunt stared at the large metal door that was his way to freedom.  The bars on his cell were magnetized, preventing any type of signal from entering the cell.  None of the guards carried electronics in his presence.  Not even the radios they used for off-island communications were brought within his presence. 

_Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak, Felicity Smoak._

Her name repeated on endless loop in his mind.  He remained fixated on the door.  Waiting.  He would be freed.  And when he was free, Felicity Smoak would die.

 


End file.
